This, That, and the Other
by Shi-Toyu
Summary: Something goes wrong when Tony and Loki try and incorporate magic into his suits. Suddenly...he's not quite where he should be. Clint-heavy in later chapters. FrostIron. Possible other pairings if wanted.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Alright, I don't know how many people are really going to be interested in reading this, but I just couldn't resist writing it. The idea got stuck in my head and was just too fun to resist. I hope you all enjoy! (The few of you there are.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter One

"Okay, okay! Let's try it with this one!"

Tony Stark beamed at his lover as he switched from his newest suit to his older, briefcase model. He and Loki had been trying to integrate magic into his Iron Man suits for the past three weeks. So far, it had all been theory and prep. Now, though, they were finally going to try it out on some actual suits. Tony was super excited, Loki…not so much.

"I am still not convinced this is a good idea."

Tony just rolled his eyes and strode towards his lover to plant a kiss on his lips.

"Relax, Starfruit, everything's gonna be fine."

Loki quirked an eyebrow.

"Starfruit?"

"Yeah, okay, admittedly not my best nickname. Let's move on and pretend it never happened, yeah? That was _my_ plan."

The look he got from the taller man was judgmental at best. However, as so often happened with them, Loki capitulated.

"Very well." He ran a hand over the suit's chest plate, humming softly in thought. "Yes, I believe this material will do better at holding the magic of my spells. It is less conductive than the last few. Perhaps it will be enough to prevent your reactor from absorbing my energy."

That had been their biggest problem so far. Any time Loki had gone to place a spell on one of the suits, Tony's arc reactor would suck the energy into itself and neutralize the spell. The effect was handy when, say, someone was trying to control your mind. When you were trying to add awesome magical upgrades to an already bad ass suit? Not so much. Needless to say, Tony currently just found it annoying.

The way Loki had explained it, in that way of his that mixed science and magic interchangeably and made Tony quiver, was that there were two types of spells. The first type was cast on or by a person or object, but didn't affect them physically, like when Loki would call up a shield in battle. The second type, which included a much larger portion of magic, actually affected the person or object it was cast on. It wasn't just controlling magic, but magic that healed, or helped someone be faster, or turned you invisible.

All magic was made up of energy, drawn from the world surrounding the caster. When a spell was cast, the energy followed it. For example, when Loki had healed the gash in Natasha's calf after the fight last week, he'd pulled energy from around him and directed it at the wound. His will and desire shaped the energy and coaxed it into healing the spy's injury.

"Awesome. Excellent. Good. So we can get with the magic now?"

Tony's hands were pressed together in an almost-pleading gesture, face hopeful. Loki just gave him a level look before sighing.

"We shall start with a small one. I still fear than too much excess energy could overload your reactor."

Tony waved him off with a grin.

"Yeah, yeah. What's life without a little adventure? Besides, it's not like you don't know how to replace the thing."

Loki scowled.

"That's hardly the point. I'd prefer your body not suffer the effects of cardiac arrest."

The genius smiled at him playfully, but there was a hint of real emotion beneath.

"Aw, it's so nice to know you care…"

"Though I see it will not be stopping you."

He chuckled.

"As terrifying as talking about our feelings is, it's going to take more than that to put me off making my suit even more unbelievably bad ass than they already are."

Loki smiled indulgently and pulled Tony in for a slow, languid kiss. There was a time for fire and passion, but it was not now. Their lips moved together seamlessly, long ago having learned each other's tendencies. Loki nipped lightly at Tony's lips as he pulled away.

"Very well, dear heart. We shall proceed."

He probably couldn't have gotten a more excited reaction if he'd told a twelve-year-old girl they were going to meet Justin Beiber. Tony gave him another peck on the lips, this kiss quicker than the last, before bouncing back to the platform and rattling off instructions for JARVIS.

He plugged several cables into the suit he was still wearing at different points so they could monitor things like temperature and energy fluctuations. As much as Tony verbally disregarded Loki's warnings about the dangers involved in adding magic to his suits, he actually did pay attention. Never let it be said that Tony Stark was not reckless, but at least he wasn't stupid about it. At least he liked to think so.

"Alright, Loki-dokes! Let's do this!"

With everything set, and ignoring the bubble of worry in his chest, Loki began to draw the magic to himself. They would start off with the smallest of the spells he and Anthony had discussed adding. It was only originally intended to be placed on a warrior's armor, so it would actually work well in this scenario. The spell would add an extra layer of protection to the suit, hardening the metal to block both melee attacks and crushing damage. Tony's suits were great at taking punishment, but he could only make them so durable without threatening the integrity of flight and reaction time.

Loki brushed his hands over the suit, palms flat and a thin layer of magic drifting from them. The magic spread like water across the surface of the metal, settling in providing a base that would allow him to attach his spells. The fact that the reactor did not immediately suck up this power gave him hope that his lover's crazy idea might actually work after all.

With his base layer down, Loki began to weave the more intricate designs of the actual spell. He pushed the runes into the layer of magic surrounding the suit, letting them stick like bugs in a web, trapping them there. The glow of them would fade once the spell was complete, but they would show in brief flashes whenever the spell was activated.

Tony stood rock still as Loki worked, not wanting to break his concentration or disrupt something with the spell. The last thing he wanted was to make the god mess up and have the whole thing, quite literally, blow up in their faces. He'd never live it down.

Loki was nearly done with the spell when things finally started to go wrong. The arc reactor made a little whir of noise and the base layer of magic began to swirl like water going down a drain. As quickly as he could, Loki severed his own ties to the magic. There was no way to pull it back and leaving that connection open would only draw more magic into the reactor in the end. He just had to hope this wouldn't be enough to overload it.

Within moments, a new reactor was in the palm of his hand, summoned from the other side of the room. If things went wrong, he wanted everything he needed to already be nearby. His eyes flickered up to catch Tony's, trying to convey the things he couldn't with words just yet. Things were moving too quickly.

He saw the affection in Tony's returned gaze, but also worry. It wouldn't be the first time they had overloaded a reactor, but it certainly was never a good experience. One of the suit's metal hands came up to hover over the energy core in his chest.

"Loki, something feels differen-"

But Tony never got to finish as an explosion shook the lab. Loki was thrown across empty space to collide into the wall behinds him, putting a small crater into the surface. Clouds of dust filled the air, and panic filled Loki's heart.

"Anthony!"

There was no response as the god scrambled to his feet, a small trail of blood running down the side of his face. It would heal soon enough and he had more important things to worry about. As soon as he found his footing, he waded deeper into the lab once again, stepping around over-turned work benches and twisted machinery.

"ANTHONY! I need you to answer me!"

In the still silence of the room, Loki's mind was clenched by fear. He could already see the outcome of his search. Any moment now, one of his lover's severed limbs would appear before him on the floor. He would slowly find the pieces scattered about, all that was left of the man who had returned him to sanity. He would be alone again, kept company only by the guilt that would wear his soul down into oblivion.

As the dust settled, though, there was no macabre scene revealed. Destruction reigned through the lab, but there was no sign of the genius, once-playboy, billionaire, philanthropist. Both he and the suit were just…gone.

In the depths of Loki's heart, hope bloomed.

A/N: And there we have it! Chapter one! Let me know what you all thought!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Wow, okay. I got a surprising response to that last chapter. I'm so glad you all have liked it! I've been in a bit of a writing mood, so here's chapter two! (For your own sake, do not expect the next chapter this quickly.)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Two

Tony's world was a blur of sound and motion and color. He felt like he was being stretched apart at the same time as being pushed together. And, really, that was just uncomfortable. His stomach was churning like the morning after a Jager-party back in college. Without warning, his world can slamming to a halt, indicating the man inside the suit had come into solid contact with the ground.

He groaned as the suit rebooted. The main hub flickered to life as Tony stumbled to his feet, trying to find his baring while still encased in semi-responsive metal. Maybe Loki was right and he should stop trying to integrate magic into the suits…it's just that it'd be so _cool_.

The view that greeted his recalibrating brain wasn't of his lab, though. He stood in what appeared to be a clearing in the midst of a thick forest. A tall stone rose behind him and the night sky looked down from above. Funny…he could have sworn it was daylight when he and Loki had been working…

"Don't move! Keep your hands where I can see them!"

Tony's eyebrows rose behind his mask and he turned to look at the boy, no more than seventeen, who was aiming an old-fashioned rifle at him. His hands were steady, meaning this wasn't his first rodeo, but his expression was nervous. Tony was far more interested in what was going on behind him.

What appeared to be a smaller, fully-clothed, grey Hulk was fighting alongside a man and a woman. Their opponent had blood red skin and twisting horns, strongly resembling the devils of legend. Tony had seen a lot of odd things in his time, but he'd kind of still expected his lover and lab this time around. He sighed heavily.

The devil woman struck the man clean across the face, sending him sprawling to the edge of the clearing. His dark-haired partner fired a volley of shots from her crossbow to cover and the small giant moved to block the devil's way as the man regained his footing.

"Damn, I fuckin' hate witches. She couldn't just return the children, could she? Had to go and start a fight."

Well, that certainly cleared up the question of who the good guys were. What it didn't clear up was why he was suddenly staring at a dead ringer for Clint Barton…if he'd decided to raid Fury's closet. (Sans eyepatch.) What did it say about his life that the Clint look-alike was what threw him off the most?

Still, he eyed the fight warily, it would probably be best to end this quickly…and it wouldn't hurt to get on the good guys' good side while he was at it. Smirking, though no one could see it, he raised a hand towards the fight. The boy holding the rifle on him didn't seem to like that.

"I said don't move!"

"Chill, kid. You couldn't do any damage anyway."

Without waiting for a response, Tony fired off a repulsor blast in the witch's direction, catching her in the side and sending her crashing through the trees. He felt a ping in his side as the kid fired at him, but he'd long since perfected his armor against things as simple as gun fire. Instead of reacting, he sent another shot after the witch, wanting to make sure she stayed down.

He should have paid more attention.

A blow slammed down on his shoulders, sending him off his feet again and into the dirt. Mini-Hulk scowled down at him, ready to go for it again if he moved. Tony put his hands up by his head, back still in the dirt.

"Woah, there, big guy! Just trying to help!"

The dark haired woman appeared at the edge of his line of sight, crossbow pointed at him threateningly.

"Ben! You were supposed to be watching it!"

The boy appeared next to her, eyes wide with fear and wonder. He had an excited grin on his face and was all but bouncing on the balls of his feet. The rifle was held loosely in Tony's direction still.

"I was, but the bullet just bounced right off of it! Besides, it helped us, right?"

It wasn't until then that Tony realized they were talking about _him._

"Hey, now! I'm no it! I'm a he and I would like to be addressed as such!"

He pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the threatening growl from Tall, Grey, and Grumpy. Making sure to proceed slowly, he brought his hands up and disengaged the locks on his helmet, letting the whole thing fold back to reveal his face and head. He gave the group a winning smile.

"I know, I know, you weren't expecting a face this handsome behind that mask. Brains and beauty; they're my burden to bear."

Clint's doppelganger smirked and leaned towards the woman.

"Do you think we should get him a mirror? He seems a bit confused…"

Tony's features turned to a scowl and he pointed imperiously at the man.

"Alright, birdbrain, I am so delaying your new arrows for that." Realizing what he'd just said, he waved off their confused looks. "Nevermind. Forget I said that. Mind telling me who you are?"

The woman was scowling. It was clear she was the more serious of the two. The man, like Tony himself and Clint, dealt with situations with humor rather than aggression or seriousness.

"We don't introduce ourselves to constructs. Edward, go secure the witch."

Tony snorted as the Hulk's little brother lumbered off after the devil woman he'd shot down. So much for getting a thank you.

"Constructs? Right, the suit. Hold on…Just gimme a second. Jarv, can you get this thing off me?"

There was no response, no dry British accent in his ear, and Tony found himself scowling right along with the woman. Either something was wrong with his system, which didn't appear to be the case, or he was far enough away that JARVIS couldn't reach him…meaning not of Earth.

Well, that certainly put a different spin on things.

"Okay…back up plan. Pep, can you hear me?"

This time, a pleasant female voice responded to him.

"Oh, Tony, what did you get into this time?"

He felt almost insulted by the resignation in the voice. He also completely ignored the startled looks of the group he was facing. On second thought, talking to a disembodied voice probably wasn't the best way to convince them he wasn't some magical construct.

"Ouch, Pep. That hurts. Do you really have so little faith in me?"

"If you didn't want me to act like Pepper, you shouldn't have programmed me to."

That made him crack a smile at his emergency back-up system.

"I guess that's true. Listen, can you get me out of this suit?"

"Sure thing!"

"Thanks, Pep, I knew I could count on you."

With a series of whirs and clicks, the suit began to disengage and fold backwards from his body. Within moments, his suit was sitting next to his feet in briefcase form. He smiled at the group still holding him at gun, er, weapon point.

"See? Just your average joe. Well, maybe not so average, but certainly not a construct."

"Who was that you were talking to?"

"Pepper? She's an AI, Artificial Intelligence. I built her to be in all my suits."

The woman was scowling again, but both the man and the boy looked interested.

"You made her? With magic?"

"No, no! Science! Despite what Loki might insist, they are not the same thing. I invent things. It's what I do. Tony Stark, at your service."

He swept into a bow as he introduced himself. If they weren't on Earth, these guys probably had no idea who Tony Stark was. What a tragedy. At the very least, Tony could take some comfort in the way the man's eyes were lighting up with fascination.

"Hansel. This is my sister, Gretel. This is Ben, and the big guy over there is Edward. We're witch hunters," he grabbed the rifle from the kid, Ben, and flicked it, causing the barrel to fold up into itself, "and I'm a bit of an inventor myself."

"Hansel!"

Gretel's disapproval was obvious, but her brother smiled it off as easily as Tony so often did with his PA-turned-CEO.

"Relax. He's an odd one, but he doesn't look like a fire construct to me. Clearly, that witch messed up somewhere."

"Is that what I'm doing here? I have to admit to being a bit confused by this all."

"We got here just in time to interrupt the witch's ceremony. She was trying to summon a fire construct, but you showed up instead. The spell must have latched onto something and pulled you here."

Tony hummed distractedly, thinking back on the conversation he had just had with Loki about how magic was energy.

"It must have been my arc reactor. It had just absorbed a spell Loki was using to try and supe up my armor. The excess energy must have been what this ceremony reacted to."

Gretel seemed to tense up all over again. (And weren't those just the weirdest names ever. Tony should get a medal for not having asked about a candy house yet.)

"You're friends with a witch?"

Oh, right.

"Well, princess isn't exactly a witch. Not like…" he waved in the direction of the fallen trees, "that. And we're not exactly friends…"

Hansel laughed and thumped the genius on the back, clearly understanding where that was going.

"Don't worry. We know there are good witches out there. I'm sure your girlfriend is lovely. Now, what's an arc reactor?"

Tony figured it would probably be okay not to correct him about Loki's gender. No need to complicate this situation any further. Instead, he tugged his shirt up to reveal the magnet in his chest.

"Unlimited power source that keeps me alive. I built it myself." Cue trademark smirk all over again. "Yeah, it's pretty cool."

Hansel's grin spread across his entire face.

"Oh, yeah. You're definitely coming with us."

A/N: So there you have it! Hansel and Gretel have entered the fic! Next time: Loki has to deal with Fury and there is magic involved…or maybe not.

I hope you enjoyed! Please review and let me know what you think. Only YOU can help me improve my writing.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Okay! So here we are again after far, far too long. I apologize for the delay on this fic, but I found that I just simply could not keep up with writing two chaptered fics at once. With As the Crow Flies now complete, there is nothing standing in my way! Mwahaha! Updates for this should not come much faster, so please enjoy!

Chapter Three

Loki growled in frustration as he carved yet another rune into the floor of Tony's workshop. No doubt the inventor was going to murder him for the desecration of his sacred ground, but the only thing Loki could focus on for the time being was getting Tony back. Nothing else mattered and time was very much of the essence. The entire place was a mess from the earlier explosion, anyway. The god's magic had mingled with the arc reactor and then hooked around a third power source, slingshot-ing his lover across space. No doubt the third source had been some kind of summoning ritual, Loki just had to figure out where Tony had been inadvertently summoned to.

The runes in the floor were a part of Loki's go-to locator spell, though he needed to ramp up the range of it more and more as each attempt to find Tony failed. Things could never just be simple with his mortal, could they? By tracking the energy emitted by Tony's arc reactor, it should have been child's play to track the mortal anywhere on earth…The problem was he didn't appear to _be_ on earth.

Loki was just beginning to reach into the other realms when he heard the soft swishing of the lab's door. The spell was too delicate, though, and he remained seated in the center of his magic circle, eyes closed. He couldn't risk the distraction of turning to see who it was. More than likely it was either Bruce coming to pull Tony into another experiment or Clint to demand new arrows. He would be able to talk to them as soon as this spell was done since they weren't likely to leave once they saw the destruction of the place. Truthfully, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to have the Avengers as backup if he needed to travel to one of the less savory realms to retrieve Anthony.

Something hard slammed into the god's back, throwing him out of the circle and forcibly breaking the spell. Metallic tentacle-like bands wrapped around Loki's frame, pinning his arms to his side as claws dug into the flesh of his back through his leather and skin. The whiplash of the spell's energy caused his body to seize and spasm and Loki tasted blood as he bit the inside of his cheek. Electrical currents coursed through him as he tried to release the excess power.

There was only one thing Loki knew of on Midgard that could block the flow of his magic, something Tony had invented to use against opponents such as Amora or Doom. Loki had been both partner and test subject in its development but he had never imagined it being turned against him. The raven-haired man growled threatening as he rolled onto his back to face the mortal foolish enough to assault him.

"Well, look at you…All wrapped up like it's my fuckin' birthday!"

Loki glared heatedly at Nick Fury's smug expression. The contraption that bound him wound tighter, making him hiss in pain. His body was struggling to compensate for the magic now trapped within him. He and Anthony had done the research. If his bounds were left on for too long, the magic would begin to tear his body apart.

"You have no idea what you are doing, mortal! Anthony is-"

"Gone, I know. I have a notion to believe you might be at fault for that."

Fury nudged Loki's side with the toe of his boot, a move no doubt calculated to humiliate him further. Under the anger of his singular glare Loki could tell the director was enjoying his little power trip. He liked having the god prone and helpless on the floor. Green eyes swept the half-dozen agents Fury had brought with him and spotted Romanov in the back, watching the scene play out impassively. His gaze snapped back to Fury, however, when the man resumed talking.

"Eighteen months. _Eighteen fuckin' months_ you've been fraternizing with Stark, getting into his head and worming your way into the Avengers. Now, I may not be a genius like him but I'm smart enough to know you aren't the type to just turn around and join up with your enemies…not without a plan to screw them over. I've been waiting for you to make your move this whole time and now you're gonna pay the price for killing one of mine. What happened? Stark wasn't useful to you anymore? Had he _served his purpose?_"

At least he seemed to actually be upset by the inventor's supposed death. Loki had to give him credit for that. Still, it didn't stop the entire conversation from putting him in a mighty fine bad mood. He spat blood at Fury's shoe.

"Anthony is not dead, you idiot! Now release me!"

"Not dead?" Fury let out a bark of laughter. "We've had cameras in here for ages. We saw the explosion. No way Stark just walked away from that. It's a good cover, a spell gone wrong…especially one he was asking you to perform, but don't think you can fool us."

He waved for two of his minions to come forward and drag Loki to his feet. The god let them haul him part-way up before lunging forward to smash him forehead into his enemy's nose. Blood dripped down the man's face as he reeled backwards and Loki turned to deliver a swift kick to the other's ribcage. He once more turned his glare on Fury, hair a mess with streaks of crimson across his skin.

"At the moment I am the _only_ hope of getting Anthony back to this realm. I must complete my locating spell in order to find him and then I can bring him back."

His eyes sought out Romanov's. She hadn't moved an inch during his assault on her comrades. Either she wasn't 100% behind Fury's decision to detain him, or she was being very cautious. Unfortunately both options were just as likely. Still, he would make his case. If she didn't go to the other Avengers, JARVIS would.

"And the only proof we have that he is even still alive is the word of a mass-murdering psycho who isn't even from this planet! Forgive me if I'm a bit skeptical." He held up a small black device with a red button in the center. How cliché. "Now, be a good boy and don't fight my men or I'll fill you up with enough electrical current to kill an elephant. Fitting, isn't it? That Stark's own invention is the thing that brings down his murderer."

Loki knew he was serious, knew that no matter what the god said, Fury would never believe him. Resisting would only drag the whole ordeal out longer and they didn't have that kind of time…Tony didn't have that kind of time. It took every ounce of Loki's not-insignificant strength to swallow his pride and allow Fury's goons to grab him roughly.

"Anthony is in _danger,_" he pleased, "and if you do not let me go I will not be able to find him. He was pulled away by another force and there is no telling where he ended up unless you _let me find him_!"

He hated sounding so desperate, so vulnerable, in front of a man like Fury. The director wouldn't hesitate to use it against him if given the chance. If only Fury believed him in the first place. The SHIELD agents began dragging him across Tony's lab, their boss trailing behind. Loki could hear his smug pleasure in his voice.

"Keep talking, Liesmith, and you'll wind up with another gag keeping that mouth of yours shut."

Natasha still hadn't moved. Her expression was completely impassive as she watched Loki being hauled across the floor towards her. Betrayal and anger bubbled up inside of the god. How could she just watch this and do nothing? Did Anthony mean so little to her? He growled at her as they drew closer, teeth bared.

"He trusted you! You were his _friend_!"

Romanov didn't even flinch, instead drawing a syringe from her belt and jabbing in into Loki's neck. As she depressed the plunger he could feel the foreign substance enter his veins. His vision blurred and his head went light. He swayed in his captors' arms and couldn't focus on anything as they dragged him out of the lab.

The elevator they piled into seemed much too small, the walls and the people pressing in too close. Loki's head lolled to the side before dropping forward. How far away was the ground? He couldn't even tell. It felt like an eternity later that they pulled him out of that tiny metal box to drag him across the Stark Industries parking garage. Two black SUV's sat idling nearby and they bundled Loki into the back of one.

Romanov climbed into the truck area after him, the roominess of the vehicle allowing her to sit comfortably next to his crumpled frame. The other SHIELD agents hesitated outside the back doors but she sent them a glare that had made lesser men piss their pants. Loki struggled to keep his wits about him long enough to process what she said to them.

"We still don't know how much the sedative affected him. Someone needs to keep an eye on him and re-dose if necessary. Get us back to the helicarrier. You're wasting time."

She slammed the doors shut in their faces before turning to crouch down next to the god. Her hair looked like an absolute inferno and all Loki wanted to do was reach up and touch it…he just couldn't seem to get his arm to move. Natasha's eyes flickered to his twitching fingers before focusing once again on his face. She leant in close and spoke softly to ensure she wouldn't be overheard.

"The sedative we used was a paralytic. Pretty soon you won't even be conscious anymore. Stark ran the numbers ages ago. Listen to me, Loki. _Loki_!"

His eyelids fluttered open from where they'd been sliding shut and he forced himself to look her in the face. The darkness was clawing at the edges of his vision and he fought to keep it back. Fierce eyes bore into his skull and Loki was suddenly struck by the thought that Anthony's teammate would make an excellent Valkyrie for his daughter. Perhaps he should bring it up with her later. A delicate yet deadly hand stroked the side of his face, pulling him back to the present.

"_Listen_ to me, Loki. I cannot keep Fury from taking you, but we are not abandoning you or Tony. Clint was in the air ducts the entire time. He's already gone to the others. We'll get Tony back, I promise."

The sedative couldn't stop the edges of Loki's lips twitching upwards before the darkness finally claimed him.

A/N: I hoped you liked it! Please let me know what you thought in a review or even just fave/follow if you feel like it! Loki's in for a grand old time, now!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Here we are! It took me a bit longer to get around to writing this than I would have liked, but oh, well. I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: Still no ownage.

Chapter Four

"We cannot thank you enough, witch hunters. The people of our town are truly in your debt."

Gretel shook the older gentleman's hand graciously. Her smile was strained, conflicting emotions fighting for dominance.

"It was our pleasure, Mayor. I'm just glad we were able to get the kids back safe."

Tony noted that she didn't say anything about the genius's heat vision being the reason the even _found_ the kids. She was really not lightening up on this whole, 'his girlfriend's a witch and therefore evil' thing. During the rescue she'd been all business, and apparently that wasn't about to change now that they'd gotten paid. Talk about a buzz-kill.

Luckily, her brother had other ideas. Hansel clapped a hand on Tony's shoulder as soon as the mayor was gone, off to do mayor-ly things. The witch hunter beamed at their newest group member.

"Alright, so here's the plan. We're gonna head to the nearest tavern, I'm gonna buy us a round of drinks, and then I'm gonna ply you with all sorts of questions about that suit of yours and anything else I can think of."

Tony let his face fall into a look of mock horror as he was dragged along by the grip on his shoulders. He pressed his hand to his heart dramatically, the other still carrying the Iron Man suit in briefcase form.

"Why, I never! You mean to tell me your intentions are to get me drunk and take advantage of me?"

Hansel shrugged and gave the inventor a sideways look.

"I'll admit you're not my usual type, but I suppose you'll do for the evening."

There was a moment of silence before they both burst out laughing. Oh, yeah. Tony definitely liked the brother better out of this pair of siblings. Sure, he might had the misfortune of sharing Clint's ugly mug, but at least he had the sense of humor to match.

As soon as they were settled at a table in the local tavern, Hansel left to grab the first round of drinks. Gretel glared at Tony stonily across the table, apparently determined not to let him out of her sight. She'd been keeping a close eye on him ever since they'd left Edward in the forest just outside of town. (Apparently he had a tendency to make townsfolk antsy.) In stark contrast, the young Ben was nearly bouncing in his seat with excitement. He was watching Tony like he held every secret in the universe.

"So what's it made out of? Iron?"

Tony scoffed, giving the kid an odd look.

"No, it's not made out of _iron_. Why does everybody think that? It's a gold-titanium alloy, way stronger and _way_ lighter."

Ben's brow furrowed in confusion.

"What's titanium?"

"Processed metal. You probably don't have it here. Where I come from, everything is much more advanced. We've got a lot more technology that you do."

Ben's eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas.

"Does everybody have a suit like yours?"

"No way! That's just me." He paused for a moment. "Well, and Rhodey, but that's only cause I made him one. Which he stole. You know what? It's not important. Point is, I'm the only one who can make them."

"_Woah…_So you've got, like, technology _and_ magic in your world?"

"Mostly just tech, with very few exceptions. Not like here."

"Not like your _girlfriend_?"

Gretel's tone was biting, but Tony just smiled at her. He had far too much experience with people who didn't like him to let her get under his skin so easily.

"Loki's not actually from my world. Princess is from Asgard, which is another realm."

He glanced down at his hands, picking at some loose skin near his fingernail. Sure, he was having fun here, but he really wished he knew for sure that he could get home. He hated just waiting around to be rescued. Ben seemed to notice his distress.

"You miss her, huh?"

Tony forced a laugh, turning his charm back on to the fullest.

"Don't you worry. Loki'll be coming for me soon. Never could stay away for long, that one."

Hansel finally arrived back, pout firmly in place as he slid mugs to everyone at the table.

"I don't get it! Tavern wenches are supposed to be _easy_. How is it we always wind up in the towns with all the prudes?" He pointed a finger accusatorily at Ben. "I blame you for this."

Ben just looked dejected.

"Oh, Hansel, you didn't tell her the story about the pissing witch again, did you?"

"It's a good story! It's got plenty of action! Wenches love action!"

Tony's face twisted into a horrified expression.

"Not when it involves pissing! What, exactly, happens in this story?"

Hansel turns to him, looking determined to convince Stark of his charms with women.

"It was back before Ben or the big guy joined our team. Gretel and I were fighting this witch and she tried to put a Soul Searcher spell on me. Really nasty stuff." The hunter shifted in his seat, clearly getting into his tale. "So I slap her and rip out her tongue. And she starts pissing! _Everywhere_! And the thing about witch piss is that it burns like acid, you know! Of course, in small doses it can be used to cure poison ivy, insect bites-"

"Woah!" Tony held up a hand to stop the flow of information heading his way. "I'm just gonna go ahead and stop you there. Hansel, buddy, you can NOT go around trying to pick up women talking like that! Take it from me. Women like something a little more…gentle. And dashing. Like me."

Hansel snorted.

"Alright, lover boy! Let's see you do better!"

Tony smirked, grabbing his tankard and standing.

"Watch and learn, padawan."

Picking out a pretty brunette across the bar, Tony turned on his best smile and wandered over. She was sitting with a friend, but the added company didn't bother him.

"Hey, the name's Tony Stark. I was wondering if you could help me out with something."

The woman turned to look at him, running an eye appreciatively over his frame. He was glad that they'd grabbed him some clothes that fit for this world, or she'd probably be more focused on how he was dressed. A smile quirked her lips, telling the ex-playboy that he already had this in the bag.

"I'm Marnie. This is Jessica." She motioned to her friend. "What can we do for you?"

Tony gave the friend a quick nod.

"My friend over there, the one with the short blond hair? Sitting with his sister? He's been trying to get up to urge to talk to you all night. I mean, the guy fights witches for a living, but the second he sees a girl he likes…"

She immediately perked up, sending another look in Hansel's direction.

"A witch hunter?"

Years of dealing with the media allowed Tony to pull off the perfect innocently confused look.

"You don't know? That's _Hansel_, as in Hansel and Gretel? The guy's practically a legend."

He wasn't actually sure that was completely true, but he knew there were at least well-known enough that he could totally work with it. The friend was nudging Marnie's arm now, looking rather excited herself.

"Here's the thing, though, ladies." Suddenly, he had their complete attention once more. "Hansel? He's actually pretty shy, at least at first. And he _loves_ the outgoing type."

"Soooo…what exactly do you want us to do?"

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, trying to look just the right amount of embarrassed.

"I don't know…He just won't shut up about how pretty you are and I can't stand to let him wallow around all night."

A soft blush colored the brunette woman's cheeks and she shot another look Hansel's way, smiling a bit more and giving him a finger wave before turning back to Tony.

"My room number's 203…Tell him I'd be happy to try and make him feel a bit more…comfortable."

Victory in hand, Tony lifted his mug to her in salute before returning to the table. He clapped Hansel in the shoulder.

"You owe me, man. I," he let himself preen for a moment, "just got your ugly mug laid. Room 203. Have fun."

Hansel's jaw dropped, but Tony just laughed.

"And for the love of God, man, _don't open your mouth._"

A/N: Let me know what you think! Next chapter we are back to Loki!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Here we have the next chapter! We're back to Loki, which I know *ahem* _certain readers_ are very excited about. I took the day to finish plotting out this fic through chapter ten today, so hopefully updates will come pretty quick. I will be out of town this upcoming weekend, though, so no promises there.

Chapter Five

Loki refused to pace, refused to give his jailers the satisfaction of seeing him flustered, not now that he knew it would do no good. The truth was though, that he felt like ripping his own hair out. He'd been stuck in this cell for two _days_. Were it not for SHIELD and that idiot Fury, he'd have found Anthony by now, brought him back home where he was safe. Instead they were so blinded by their need to blame him for Anthony's disappearance that they kept him _here_, where he was _useless_.

He seethed in his anger, but kept it locked firmly away. It would do no good to him here. Instead he sat on the ground near the back wall, long legs crossed in front of him and eyes closed as though in meditation. His entire frame was still, as any movement would aggravate his injuries. He let out a soft breath as he felt a familiar presence approaching his cell, almost in relief. For the first time, he let a hint of his agitation shine through.

"You certainly took your sweet time."

His eyes opened to glare at Natasha through the force field-like barrier that kept him in his cell. It was more Stark Tech, of course, somehow based off repulsor technology in a way that Loki had never quite gotten around to asking about. He regretted that now. Outside the cell, Natasha was plugging in a code, bringing down the barrier.

"We need to move quickly. Banner has the cameras down but it's only a matter of time before the SHIELD backups take over."

He had to give her credit; she didn't even blink at the sight of his appearance. He may not have had access to a mirror, but he knew he couldn't paint a pretty picture. Fury had left the anti-magic device activated, the claws digging into Loki's skin entirely forgettable behind the pain of the energy building up inside him.

One eye was completely blinded, likely because of the amount of blood vessels that had popped within it. Bruises from the same source littered his frame, unhealing and slowly worsening as the pressure of the magic only became worse. He knew that several of his inner organs were damaged, and it was thanks only to the sturdiness of his Jotun heritage that his injuries were not worse. Sometime during the first day, his Jotun form had surfaced, the illusion the All-Father had placed on him breaking.

Loki rose to his feet unsteadily and crossed to her side in barely three steps. The sooner they left, the sooner he could have Anthony back in his arms, so he was going to be the last person holding her up.

"What is to stop them from noticing their cameras are down?"

Natasha's lips quirked up in a smirk. Her hands worked quickly to disengage the mechanism trapping him. He could feel the difference the moment it was deactivated, the magic inside him fighting even more powerfully to break free. He whirled quickly and sent a burst of pure energy back into the cell where he'd been kept, shattering the floors and walls. The assassin didn't even blink.

"Rogers is creating a distraction, playing the man out of time in the R&amp;D department."

Loki snorted as they set off down the hall, doing his best to keep pace with her as his body attempted to knit itself back together. He could almost feel the shifting of his skin as it faded back to its usual pale color. SHIELD, most unfortunately, had taken measures against him being able to teleport within their facilities. But perhaps that was for the best. There was no telling how much energy he would need to have in reserve later on when it came time to go get his lover. It seemed everything lately was sucking away his power.

"All this time living with Stark and still the peons so willingly believe he has no idea how to operate modern technology…He is going to find the biggest thing he can and make it go 'boom', isn't he?"

"I think that's the general idea."

"Then we had better hurry and get out of the way, shouldn't we?"

The two slipped down the hallways, hiding and ducking out of the way as needed when they encountered SHIELD agents running this way or that. There were more than a few that had to be taken down, Natasha efficiently knocking them out and stashing them in nearby closets or rooms. Loki followed the assassin into the stairwell and climbed laboriously behind her, long legs and godly strength just barely compensating for his injuries. Barton was waiting for them on the roof with a quinjet already warmed up and ready to go.

"I am surprised not to have seen Thor yet."

Natasha shrugged as she climbed inside the aircraft, Loki following right behind.

"We convinced him to stay behind at the tower. One whiff of him anywhere near this place and Fury would know the game was up."

Loki nodded his acceptance of this logic and turned his attention to the archer in the pilot's seat, lifting off the ground. The agent had never quite forgiven him for taking over his mind during the Chitauri invasion, which put more than a little stress on their relationship. Tony had been convinced it would just take time, but Loki knew the hatred that could fester when someone forced you to do things you didn't want to do.

"I need to get to Anthony's lab."

Barton gave a firm nod before glancing in the god's direction. His eyebrows shot upwards.

"Wow, dude. You look like _shit_."

Loki rolled his eyes, a habit he had picked up from Tony over the months, one of the many things that had rubbed off on him.

"Yes, yes. You can thank your Director Fury for that. Now, _get me to that lab_."

Almost two hours later found Loki once more in the center of his rune circle, magic coursing through the room. He pushed his awareness farther and farther, worries clawing at his belly with each realm where he could not feel his lover's presence. He had forced himself not to think of it while he had been imprisoned, but the possibility of Anthony dying or being killed before he had the chance to restart the spell was becoming more and more likely. He wasn't sure what he might do if that proved to be the case, but he would be damn sure SHIELD paid the price.

Then there was a glimmer, faint over the incredible distance, but definitely there. Loki locked onto it with his mind, rising quickly to his feet. His body had managed to mostly fix itself while he worked on the spell, and he was greatly appreciative that he would have his strength for the distance he was about to travel. A grin split his face nearly in half.

"I have found him…"

"Awesome," a voice, Clint's, popped up from behind him. The agent was the only Avenger remaining in the lab, the rest staying busy trying to keep Fury and his hounds at bay. "So now what? You teleport over, grab him, and teleport back?"

Loki shook his head, wishing it could be so simple.

"Anthony is many realms away. The distance is far too great for me to travel on my magiks alone. I shall have to make the journey through Yggdrasil. Her branches and roots are difficult to traverse, but there is no other way."

The archer eyed him warily.

"Will it be dangerous?"

"Extremely."

Loki eyed the mortal back now, seeing where this was going and not sure whether or not he liked the idea.

"Do you have to have magic to travel that way?"

Making his decision, Loki smiled faintly. It would be better to have back up anyway.

"Not at all. I take it you wish to accompany me?"

Clint nodded, adjusting his arrows on his back.

"You bet your ass I do. Tony's my best friend. There's no way in Hell I'm letting you just take off after him if he's in danger and not coming with."

Loki dipped his head in acknowledgment, appreciating the loyalty on his lover's behalf.

"Then so it shall be. I require transportation anyway. The entrances to Yggdrasil's branches are not easily found, nor easily accessed. The nearest one is already across this nation's borders."

"Alright, then," Clint said with a smile, already turning and heading for the door. "what are we waiting for?"

Loki took a last glance around the lab, noting that none of the destruction had been cleaned up while he was gone. His heart twisted painfully in his chest, but he pushed it aside. He would retrieve his lover, right his lab using magic, and not let him out of bed for a week. He just…could not lose him.

A/N: So there we have it! Next chapter we take another peek into the life of Tony Stark with Hansel and Gretel. (Does anyone see a pattern here?) Please let me know what you thought!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Sorry about the wait on this chapter. I took November off from fanfiction to do NaNoWriMo and work on my original novel. Now that it's December you can rest assured that I will be back on track! Please enjoy!

Chapter Six

"So is this usually how you guys find new business?"

Hansel shrugged as the group, sans Edward, trailed after the mayor of the new town they were in. They'd heard that the town was having witch trouble as they finished up their last gig and headed over. The mayor had been glad to see them and hired them on the spot. Now, they were on their way to meet the town sheriff.

"Witches are a big problem here. They're all over the place and they're always causing trouble. There's pretty much always one town or another in need of help."

Tony frowned. He supposed that it made sense. It wasn't exactly like this world had access to a whole lot of technology. It was just that word of mouth was so _slow_. The businessman in him twitched at the thought of inefficiency, but always got excited at the prospect of improving things. He had to forcibly tamp down on that idea. Loki would be coming for him soon, he was sure of it, and then he'd be back to his own world. He needed to not get too attached to this one.

(And Tony knew he had a problem with that, knew he got attached quickly. He'd been losing things all his life and never managed to learn his lesson. It was like the time he'd found a kitten and brought it home, only for Howard to forbid him to keep it. Which was stupid, the kitten had already been there two weeks before the man even noticed.)

Still, he wondered if he couldn't slip a little bit of progress into the world while he was here. Hansel was a pretty smart guy. He and Tony had been chatting back and forth about various weapons and their designs for days. Not to mention that Ben kid had quite an eye for business. If Tony set them up with the start, they could probably get a phone system working or at least some radios. It'd make them a lot better money than the witch hunting gigs. Not that Tony was thinking they'd give those up. He knew far too well what being a fighter felt like. It wasn't something you could just move on from.

"Don't even bother with your excuses! Helming already came by and told me all about you hiring these outsiders! What? You don't think I can do my job?"

Tony's gaze flickered to Hansel just in time to catch him rolling his eyes and shifting his hand just a touch closer to his hip and the gun that rested there. His scowl was matched by Gretel's. Clearly, this was a problem they encountered quite often.

"Sheriffs…"

The way Gretel muttered the title spoke of exactly how _not_ fond of it she was. The man's eyes snapped to her, glaring like she was one of the witches they were there to fight. (Which, okay, she _was_ but she was a white witch, so it hardly counted.) Tony figured that was his cue to step in. He'd seen how Hansel and Gretel handled 'customer service' enough times to know which way this was going to head if he didn't.

"Hello! Sheriff Buford, right? The mayor was just telling us about your efforts so far. You've handled things much better than most of the town we've been through so far."

He extended his hand with a broad smile, startling the sheriff enough with his friendliness that he dropped his guard a bit and shook the offered hand before he could think about it too much. His eyebrows knit together a bit with confusion.

"And who are you?"

"Tony Stark, consultant. We're looking forward to working with you. It seems like you've got some pretty good systems in place and, paired up with our team, we should be able to take care of this little pesky witch problem in no time. We've been seeing a lot of witches working together lately." Not _technically_ a lie. Loki would be proud. "If we aren't willing to do the same with each other, then we don't stand a chance."

The sheriff hesitated, shooting Hansel, Gretel, and Ben an appraising look. Tony could tell he was still hesitant, but he also knew he was getting to the man. He'd been through enough board meetings and business deals to know how to deal with just about anybody. That's why Pepper still dragged him into the office when she had a deal she absolutely refused to let pass the company by. Tony was her last line of defense, no matter how much they both hated the truth of that. He'd much rather stay at home tinkering and she'd much rather not have to rely on such a wild card.

"Look, sheriff, here's the deal. We don't know who these witches are. We don't even really know what they want, other than the children. If they are looking to capture even more, we don't really have the means to protect every child in the village at every moment. But what this team does have is a very particular set of skills, skills they have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make them a nightmare for witches like the ones attacking your village. If you let us help, that'll be the end of it. We can get these children back to their families quickly. If you don't we will have to take action against the witches on our own. We will look for them, we will find them, and we will kill them. You can either be a part of that and help us, do your part for the village you love, or you can stand in our way and put the people you are sworn to protect in even more danger. We're just here to help."

There was a moment of stunned silence as everyone in the room stared at Tony before the sheriff caught his hand in another firm shake and nodded gruffly, a determined look in his eye.

"You just say the word and you'll have whatever you need from me. I want these damn witches dead before they can hurt another family."

Tony grinned at him.

"Us, too, sheriff."

With that, Hansel and Gretel moved forward to start asking questions to gather the information they needed. Tony stepped back to lean against the wall. He wasn't familiar enough with the way witches worked in this world to be of much use anyway. He'd just bide his time and learn what he could while he waited for the fighting to start again. That part, he was very good at. Once they were back outside, sans mayor and sheriff, Hansel clapped an arm around his shoulders and jostled him affectionately.

"That was amazing! We usually can't get the town sheriff on our side to save our lives!"

Ben was looking at him like Tony was the single coolest thing on the planet and even Gretel was looking less disapproving than usual. It made an odd warmth bubble up in Tony's chest. It was the same feeling he got when he discovered Fury had changed his official SHIELD status from being a consultant to an Avenger. The same one he got whenever Bruce came to him for help with a complicated science problem that was really just an excuse for the guy to have some human contact. The same feeling he got whenever Loki crawled into bed after him and pulled the inventor into his arms with no more motivation than to snuggle. He really was in danger of getting too attached.

"It wasn't that big of a deal. I told you, I run a company in my world. Dealing with people is kind of my thing."

Hansel rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, like building robots and fighting aliens and taking down super villains is your thing, right?"

Tony just laughed. How could he not?

"Okay, so I have a lot of things. I'm just a very talented person. What can I say?"

"Can you teach me?"

Ben was looking like he was all of two seconds away from starting the Church of Tony Stark and while it wasn't the first time Tony had gotten that look, it seemed decidedly less creepy and more endearing coming from Ben than the usual nut jobs. Plus, Ben usually looked at Hansel and Gretel the same way so it was kind of like being accepted into the family.

"I don't think I'd make a very good teach. I don't have the patience." Ben's hopeful face fell and Tony mentally damned the guilt that clawed at his stomach. "But it's all about figuring out what people want and then phrasing what you want in a way that makes them think they're getting their way. Does that make sense?"

Ben's nose scrunched up in confusion.

"Uh, not really."

"Well, that the sheriff today for example. He wanted to protect his town and he didn't want outsiders coming in and taking his job."

"Right."

"So I told him we were only there to help and that we'd be working together, phrasing so that he would be included by providing us with support, and I emphasized that we were there to help the people of his village. It gave him everything we wanted but phrased so that he wouldn't feel so threatened by us."

Gretel smirked over her shoulder at him as she led the way back to camp.

"I guess you're good for something after all."

Her tone was affectionate, though still cautious, and Tony had to duck his head to hide his grin. If they kept accepting him like this then he'd never be able to just go back to his old life.

A/N: Now I know that Tony's time with Hansel and Gretel hasn't been extremely action-packed so far. Don't worry! This will change! He's going to see his fair share of trouble soon enough!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Ah, there we go! Not too shabby with the time on this one! I'm hoping to get another chapter written tomorrow if I can manage it. Wish me luck!

Chapter Seven

"I'm pretty sure I'm not authorized to park there. I think at least one of the wheels is in a handicapped space."

Loki waved off Clint's less than concerned comment as they approached the chained gates of the entrance to the Mayan ruins. The quinjet sat conspicuously in the large parking lot, sticking out like a sore thumb. No doubt the first person to pass by would notice it and alert the authorities. There was no way to keep the location a secret when the portal to the world tree was apparently in the midst of a tourist attraction.

"I placed a simple ward of protection upon it before we left. Your wings will still be here when we return, Barton. Do not fret."

Clint grumbled as he followed the god into the ruins, admitting despite himself that both magic and enhanced strength were apparently very useful when breaking into places. Loki smirked upon hearing the mumbled words.

"I have to admit, the last time I came to Chichen Itza I was tailing a guy to assassinate. Being back here now is making me a bit jumpy."

"We shall not be around for long."

"Still, did you have to pick the entrance to that magical portal tree of yours that's somewhere so obvious? Isn't there someplace a little more private for inter-realm travel?"

Gravel and dirt crunched under their feet as they made their way across the paths and fields that made up the national landmark. The coliseum's ruins rose up to their left, a place where many men had died. Loki could feel the magic pouring out from the very ground.

"Many ancient civilizations in your world were attracted to places of power. Those mortals who were more in tune with the balance of the Nine Realms were able to locate the places where Yggdrasil's branches touch your world. It is no coincidence that these ruins were built here."

A huge monument of white stone appeared in the distance to their right and Clint instantly veered towards it. Thin steps led up each of its side and Loki watched in amusement as the archer drew closer.

"That's where they made all their big announcements from, right? It's supposed to be the way the alter at the top is built or something that amplified their voices, but I guess its magic, huh? So what do we do? Climb to the top and dance around while doing some crazy chant to open the portal?"

Loki fought to keep the smirk off of his face as he wrapped and arm around Clint's shoulders and guided him away from the monument.

"Actually, what we will do is pass right by it and move on to the true entrance of Yggdrasil. That gaudy monstrosity was made for no more reason than to stroke the egos of those pitiful fools who could not handle their own insignificance."

Clint smirked even as he shrugged Loki's arm off of him.

"And what do you call Tony's tower in New York, then?"

"An ode to his phallic prowess."

Clint snorted so hard he nearly tripped over his own feet.

"Oh, my god! I can't believe you managed to say that with a straight face!"

Loki allowed a small smirk to slip through as they proceeded off to the side of the main attractions. As tumultuous as their relationship was, Loki really did like Clint. The man was ruthlessly efficient when needed but still appreciated a good joke. If it weren't for their unfortunate beginnings, Loki suspected they might actually get along pretty well.

They walked about 500 feet off of the main path before finding what Loki was looking for. It was a giant pit sunk into the earth, a deep layer of mud coating the bottom. A rickety metal rail circled the mouth of the pit, presumably to prevent idiot tourists from falling in. Without the slightest warning, Loki grabbed Clint by the back of his neck and tipped him over the edge, following quickly behind and landing rather more gracefully in the mud than the archer had.

As Clint tried to pick himself out of the mud, sputtering and cursing Loki's name the entire time, the god began slogging across the pit towards where he sensed the magic was strongest. It was slow moving, as the mud clung to their clothes and skin as though it wanted nothing more than to hold them back from their goal. Behind him, the archer was muttering death threats and insults under his breath as he followed Loki across. Loki, of course, ignored them.

"They called this an endless pit. It was used for sacrifices by the Mayans."

Loki looked over his shoulder just enough to catch Clint eyeing the muck around him warily.

"Like, human sacrifices?"

The god chuckled.

"Think more in terms of pottery or jewelry. Anything they threw into the mud of the pit would get sucked under and disappear. They worshipped it as a passageway to their jaguar gods."

"But it all just went through the tree?"

"Indeed. I actually spent some time ensuring that anything that came through this passage was cleared away from Yggdrasil's branches. Too much debris would begin to clue others in that it was a path to another Realm."

The mud rose higher as they approached the fissure of magic Loki had identified. More accurately, the two sank deeper into it. Clint raised his arms out of the muck as it rose to his waste.

"Are you sure this is totally safe? We're not going to drown or be buried alive or anything, right?"

Loki shrugged.

"I must admit I have never traveled this path from this direction before. It could have some unforeseen consequences."

He smiled toothily at the archer before he could panic too much. Clint shot him a withering glare.

"I hate you. I hope you know that."

Loki chuckled, leaning back and spreading his arms to lay in the mud. He could feel the magic of the rift curling around him and beginning to pull him under. He relaxed into Yggdrasil's familiar hold, letting his eyes fall shut.

"Not to worry, Barton. I am quite aware."

And then the magic pulled him under, the feeling of mud disappearing and being replaced by a comforting warmth, like being wrapped in a winter fur. It wasn't until he felt solid ground under his feet again that Loki let his eyes flutter open. The corridor he was in looked like an earthen cave, but the walls were made entirely of wood and roots dangled from the packed-dirt ceiling. Plants of all colors and shapes dotted the corridor and twisting vines covered in florescent flowers ran up the walls. A thud and an 'oof' from beside him alerted Loki to the fact that Clint had arrived.

Ignoring the other's presence, Loki crossed to the nearest wall and lay a hand flat against it just to feel the thrum of Yggdrasil's magic running through them. He hummed happily and pressed one cheek to the warm surface. For a mage being within Yggdrasil's branches felt like coming home. It was the very source of their power and to be so close was simply indescribable.

"Alright, you hippie. Enough with your tree hugging. We've got your lover to save, remember?"

Blinking back to himself, Loki stepped away from the wall, though he left his hand pressed against it.

"Of course. I warn you not to eat or drink of anything you see within this place. The magic will consume you and your body will become one with the World Tree. You will never be able to leave."

Clint just stared at him for a moment.

"Who in their right mind would think it was a good idea to eat any of this stuff in the first place? You couldn't _pay_ me to put any of this in my mouth."

Loki snorted as he thought of what Anthony's response to that statement would no doubt be. Unlike his lover, he decided it would be best to keep such thoughts to himself.

"Welcome to the branches of Yggdrasil, Clint Barton. You are one of perhaps a handful of mortals to ever set foot here and one of less than a thousand beings from any other species. It is a great honor." He paused, allowing his thumb to move across Yggdrasil's surface in a fond caress. "But you are correct. It is time we moved along. Anthony awaits us."

A/N: I'm not sure why I was so fixated on Yggdrasil's branches connecting here of all places, but I visited the Pit about a couple of years ago and the moment I saw it, I knew. So it's been my head canon ever since.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Well, here it is! I'm a bit concerned about the first half of this chapter. I don't think it's my best work, but I am rather confident in the second half! I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Eight

"Dude! You're so wrong! Mine is totally uglier!"

"Are you kidding? Have you seen the warts on this biddy? I'm pretty sure the moon has fewer craters!"

Tony laughed as he dodged out of the way of whatever magicky-blast the witch he was fighting had sent his way. He wasn't sure if he was immune to the magic in this world or not but he figured it was probably best to keep on the safe side. If he wound up cursed or something before Loki was able to come get him, he'd never hear the end of it.

"I dunno, Hansel…I think someone might have splashed acid in this one's face! I can't tell if she was uglier before or after she got burned!"

Not far off, Hansel was alternating between shooting at his witch and trying to beat her with the butt of his gun. They'd been expecting a nest with two witches, but had found four once they busted down the door. It was a rare thing to find witches grouped together in such high numbers. Apparently they annoyed each other just as much as they annoyed everyone else.

The change in number didn't change the plan, though. Ben snuck around the back to try and quietly sneak the kidnapped children away from the danger. It was high risk if he got caught, but low risk otherwise. Given his age and young features, it seemed only natural that the rest had developed protective feelings towards him, even Tony who had only just joined their merry band.

To cover his attempted escape, the others would create a diversion via frontal assault. Considering himself to be rather gifted at that particular task, Tony had started the party off by blowing something up. The witches had given the group their full attention ever since. Hansel and Tony had almost immediately launched into now-familiar banter over which witch was the ugliest and Tony didn't think it was making them any more popular than they had been before.

They'd broken off with Hansel and Tony fighting two of the witches while Edward and Gretel took on the other two. Unfortunately, Edward had taken a blast to the chest and seemed to be down for the count. Thankfully he appeared to only be unconscious. He was actually a pretty cool guy once you got to know him.

Tony pivoted in place as his feet hit the ground to fire off a repulsor blast at one of the witches attacking Gretel before having to duck and deliver a sucker punch to the one he was facing himself. He was honestly surprised by how resilient these witches could sometimes be. Hansel blasted his own witch through a tree and turned to go help his sister. Tony grimaced from within his armor as the witch got back up and joined the one attacking him.

"You know, Gretel, my dear, now might be a really good time for some magic!"

He caught sight of her nearly tripping over her own feet as he was tackled by a witch who proceeded to try and gnaw his faceplate off. Talk about rude! That was probably going to scratch.

"Dammit, Stark! I'm not that girl you've got back home! Not everyone here has magic!"

Tony almost growled in frustration, grabbing the witch by one arm and flinging her away to crash into his other opponent and sending them both to the ground. It wasn't much, but at least it provided him with a short reprieve.

"I'm not an idiot, you know! You guys haven't exactly been subtle about the fact that you're hiding something and considering magic doesn't affect you…not to mention the way your brother flew off the handle last week when he thought someone was accusing you of being a witch...Let's get real here and stop wasting my time!"

Admittedly, he was a little frustrated by that point. Seriously. He's over here fighting witches and rescuing children and they can't even be straight with him? They already know Loki used magic. What did they think he was going to do?

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

That pissed him off so much that he actually felt his next punch break bones as it connected. The witch cried out in pain and sent a spell his way that he almost didn't manage to dodge. The other one threw herself on his back, clinging like a monkey as she tried to rip away chunks of his armor. Tony repulsored her in the face.

He guessed he should have been used to it already, used to having others not trust him. It'd taken months to sort out his issues with Steve and even Pepper and Rhodey didn't tell him things sometimes. On one hand, he could understand. He was a loose cannon and his mind ran too fast for other people to follow. He processed information and formed plans so fast that people always assumed he was running off half-cocked. He knew, too, that Rhodey and Pepper would never hide anything from him in order to hurt him. It was just that sometimes Rhodey's military obligations got in the way and Pepper was just worried about him. Even Happy had given up any pretense of having blind faith in him, but Tony supposed that was bound to happen eventually after so many years in the inventor's presence.

An angry shout ripped itself from his throat as he blasted one of the witches into a tree, finally sending her down for the count. He grabbed the other one and hurled her into the air, firing repulsor blasts after her from both hands. She didn't move once she hit the ground again.

The remaining witches screeched their displeasure and launched themselves at him, but Tony didn't have the annoyance to spare. He was just so over being here, much as he found the world a novel experience. Yes, he was getting attached and yes, he was going to miss this group when he had to leave, but it wasn't home. He was so _tired_ of being around people who looked at him like he was going to turn on them at any moment. He wasn't _Obediah_. He didn't betray people. He never had.

He just wanted to go home. He wanted to be able to talk to JARVIS and hole up in his lab for days on end while Bruce and Steve pestered him to eat. He wanted to talk about movies with Clint and argue over what the best gaming console on the market was. He wanted to be able to relax with Natasha and speak to someone who also knew Italian. Hell, he missed trading epic stories with Thor, even though most of Tony's ended in sex and most of Thor's ended in him throwing his hammer at whatever the problem was.

Most of all, though, he missed Loki. He missed being wrapped up in his arms and not feeling pressured to _be_ anything or anyone. He missed watching Loki interact with his bots, how he treated them like the children Tony always saw them as. All he wanted in that moment was for Loki to get there already. What was even taking him so long?

Hansel and Gretel had each managed to dispatch their own witches while Tony was having his little fit and they were staring at him a bit wide-eyed, clearly cautious. Hansel was sending meaningful looks at his sister which were going completely ignored. Well, too bad. Tony was done. Just done.

"Good luck with the kids. I trust you can handle it from here."

Without bothering to stick around longer than that, Tony fired up his repulsors and shot into the air. He'd always found flight to be liberating. It was freeing to let the air and sky just fly past him, taking his problems right along with them for at least as long as it took for him to touch down again. It was probably his favorite feature of the Iron Man armor.

Now, though, it just didn't seem to be enough. There was no where he could go to forget that he was in this strange world, surrounded by people and things that were so incredibly difficult for even his mind to comprehend. And the worst part was that there was no end in sight.

What if Loki didn't come get him? What if he couldn't? Tony had pushed the thought aside again and again, refusing to let the possibility invade him mind, but there was no way to avoid it forever. It was possible that he'd wound up somewhere Loki couldn't get to. Or maybe it would take him months or years to get there. Would he even know where Tony had gone in the first place?

Tony set down heavily by a rock formation before he flew too far away. Guilt was already worming its way into his gut over leaving. Way to be over dramatic, Stark. He could just imagine Natasha's fond smile as she rolled her eyes and called him a drama queen. He'd known these people less than a few weeks. How could he possibly expect them to trust him with their deepest secrets? Obviously, being a witch in this world had some seriously bad connotations. Of course they wouldn't want to admit it if they didn't have to.

"Pepper?"

He hated how small his voice sounded, how defeated. He sat down on the ground with his back against the rocks. The armor would keep the evening's chill air locked out even as it turned to night.

"Hey, Tony. You doing okay?"

He had to smile at the concern in the artificial intelligence's voice. He really had spent a huge amount of time programing it, _her_, to act exactly like the real Pepper would.

"I acted like an idiot, Pep."

"Well, nothing you can do about that, I'm afraid. The question is, where are you going to go from here?"

He closed his eyes and let the tension seep out of his frame. He could always count on Pepper to straighten him out when the situation looked bleak.

"I don't…Would you try calling home for me?"

There was a pause before the AI spoke again.

"I'm sorry, Tony." And she really did sound sorry. "It seems that we're out of range."

Tony pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, letting his head fall forwards to clunk against metal forearms.

"Yeah…I figured…"

A/N: So there we have it! Tony is finally starting to let being in a strange world, surrounded by unfamiliar people and things get to him. Tony is impossibly strong, one of the things I love about him as a character, but I think there is only so much one person can take. Well, let me know what you think! I really do appreciate reviews and I'd like them all the more on this chapter so I can see what I did right and what I can improve on. Thank you all for your support!

Next time: I've got a little surprise to change things up for you!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Amora's eyes snapped open as she felt a familiar presence passing near her pocket realm. It had been centuries since she'd last been so close to Loki as to feel his presence, not since their last encounter…not since he had slaughtered her partner. Poor Scourge…he'd never even seen it coming, the oaf. Even if she hadn't been using him for his brains, he'd been a loyal companion.

She and Loki had been friends of sorts long ago, back when they had first met. Loki had even taught her some of his own magic, a gift he bestowed upon very few. It almost made putting up with his princely airs worth it. But she hadn't been able to resist the treasures of Asgard's palace, especially not when being an acquaintance of the younger prince gave her such access.

She'd stolen a priceless artifact only a few decades into their friendship. She hadn't even gotten _away_ with it, getting caught by the guards before she'd even made it out of the palace. But Loki just couldn't seem to let it go. He'd acted like her betrayal was the end of the world, the drama queen. It'd sparked a sort of war between them that had continued ever since, escalating even more with every meeting. Now it seemed that it was her turn to pay him back for the death of her lover.

Another presence traveled the branches of Yggdrasil at Loki's side, a mortal presence. It surprised Amora because mortals very rarely found their way into the branches of the world tree and Loki had never been very fond of Midgardians to begin with. Why would he be traveling with one? Except…

Rumors had begun circulating that Loki had taken up a mortal lover, rumors that Amora had initially dismissed for their sheer absurdity. There was no way Loki would sink so low as to take a mortal as his companion…or at least that was what she had thought. Apparently, there was evidence to the contrary.

Amora was safe within her pocket realm, protected by its wards and protections. She could allow her consciousness to reach out and investigate the travelers while Loki was forced to keep his senses focused on not letting them stray from the right path. If he lost his concentration, they could end up anywhere or quite possibly nowhere at all. More than likely, he would never even know she was seeking them out. It was the one upside of being caught in such a dreary place.

Loki's companion was a male, shorter and stockier than she would have thought the Aesir would choose. He had a warrior's bearing, though, and that definitely lent itself towards Loki's tastes. He'd always been a sucker for a pretty face and a fierce spirit. It was what had initially drawn him to her, after all. Their trail led back toward Midgard, as she had expected, but she was much more interested in where their destination would end up being.

They had already bypassed the branches that would take them to the other eight Realms that were recognized as the most influential ones. In fact, it seemed they were planning to take a much longer trip, out to one of the most distant worlds, though she would not be able to tell which one until they drew closer and eliminated more options. There were just too many possibilities at current.

She could go after them, pursue them the rest of their journey on foot, but that would leave her exposed in ways she wasn't while in her pocket realm. She would be stuck in the same situation Loki was in currently, having to focus all of her attention on not winding up lost forever between the branches. It would be better to stick with the protection provided by her hideaway, to let them take the course of their travels before setting out after them. It was not like they could escape her now. One way or the other, she would be able to keep track of their movements.

The mortal was a bumbling fool, from the looks of it. More intelligent what Scourge had been, perhaps, but that wasn't saying much and at least her lover had possessed the raw strength to make up for his…lacking in other areas. It was clear this mortal had no idea how anything with magic worked. He seemed impatient with Loki's cautious movements and had nearly walking himself straight into Yggdrasil's natural traps more than once. Amora wasn't sure why Loki kept saving him. She would have happily let him die for his pointless blundering.

It did, however, prove to her that Loki valued this mortal's life. The god was much like herself, quick to get rid of nuisances and irritants. He would not allow the mortal's presence if it was not for some advantage of his own. Prospects that this was his rumored lover were simply getting better and better. Even if it proved to not be the case, killing someone Loki cared about would be delicious and truly nothing more than proper justice. If the mortal were only a pawn, it would serve to inconvenience her once-friend. If he were more…Amora shivered in excitement at the mere thought.

But the two travelers needed to reach their destination first. That way she could set out after them and catch them unawares. Yggdrasil led to all of the many worlds and it would not do to lose them in the tree's branches. It would take them a while to get there, anyway, and she could happily dedicate that time to deciding just what end would suit Loki's little _toy_ best. The anticipation would be almost too much to bear.

Perhaps she should make it something slow, poison his blood and let him rot away from the inside out. She'd always been a fan of that alternative. There was just something about having the time to watch her victim squirm and writhe that was so satisfying…but no. She wouldn't get to watch it with Loki around. Besides, if she gave him that much time he might be able to find a way to stop the spell, or reverse its affects. If he was between fights with his brother, he might even be able to convince Thor to give him a golden apple. It simply wouldn't do to let all of her hard work go to waste. She'd have to think of something else, then.

The spell would need to be quick, that much was clear. She would be forced to flee as soon as the casting was done with, for surely Loki would not allow her to live if she lingered and she was not so foolish as to think she could best him in a true fight. His abilities to wield magic far surpassed her own. She had studied with him, practiced with and learned from him and even she did not know the full extent of what he could do. There were times she entertained that he was a child of magic and not of Odin after all, a changeling birthed from Yggdrasil herself.

But Loki still had to suffer as much as possible. She would be satisfied with no other alternative. He needed to feel the pain she had felt at the loss of Scourge, the anger and the hatred. Life had been harder without Scourge and she wanted to make sure Loki remembered this moment for every day he continued to live, just as she felt the inconvenience of it. Ah…but there was an idea.

She leaned back in her throne-like chair and drummed blood red fingernails on the stone armrest. Amora's gaze drifted across her realm, small and barren though it was. The ground was cracked and dry, dust covering everything in a fine powder that it was impossible to avoid. Shrubbery dotted the ground but it, too, was shriveled and dry. It was no place fit for someone like her but it was all she had left thanks to that pitiful wretch Loki. It would only be fair to leave him with something in the same condition.

Oh, it would be such a wonderful feeling to suck the very essence of life from Loki's mortal and leave her rival with merely a husk. It would be downright poetic, if she thought about it. A fitting end for such a useless creature as a mere mortal. Yes, she was quite warming up to the idea and she had a perfect spell for it…

Her laugh rang out like an echo in the open air. Smog swirled delicately to make way for the noise. Oh, she would savor this victory…and it would be a victory. It was so amusing that Loki would leave himself so open as he had. It was a beautiful opportunity and she would not waste it by allowing anything to go wrong.

It would be tempting to keep something of the mortal for herself, a prize to keep her amused between schemes and plots. Amora would love to bottle the mortal's soul and tuck it away to taunt Loki with. How glorious would it be to take the young prince's lover from him not once, but twice? She could keep it with her for a couple hundred years before smashing the bottle to pieces before his eyes and reopening the wound that would only just be beginning to heal. Loki always had gotten more attached to things the moment they were taken away from him.

He'd been nothing but arrogant and self-important when they had known each other so long ago. Sure, he had shared a few of his magical secrets but he had never let her forget for even a moment which of them was the prince in the room. It was only after she had betrayed him that he began calling her his confidant or friend. If Loki admitted to caring for this mortal now then his affection would devastate him once the mortal was taken away.

Amora pushed herself to her feet and crossed to one of the trunks that sat behind her throne. It took some rifling to find the correct spell book. It had been a long time since she'd needed anything from it. Once the leather-bound volume was in her grasp, though, she could not help the bubbling giddiness that rose up in her chest. Oh, but this would be glorious!

So long as she kept the mortal's soul safe in the bottle, Loki would surely take any steps necessary to keep the body left behind preserved and whole. As long as there was a glimmer of hope, his stubborn streak would not allow for him to give up and let her win. He would see it as a defeat, of conceding to her, and that was something he would never do.

It would make such a lovely reminder to Loki, to have to live every day with the husk she deigned to leave him with. She felt a shiver run through her entire body. The excitement was almost too much. Even just the _thought_ of the look on Loki's face once he saw his lover's body was enough to drive her over the edge. This was the happiest she'd been in centuries!

She settled back in her throne once again, book open on her lap. She kept part of her consciousness in tune with Loki's movements and directed the rest of her attention towards her studies. Amora would not allow her plans to be spoiled by anything.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

It wasn't the first time Tony had slept in the suit. The first time had been in the aftermath of a night of very heavy drinking. He'd awoken to aching muscles, a multitude of bruises, and a headache that he was pretty sure killed a few brain cells. It was his absolute pleasure to discover that falling asleep in the suit sober was only fractionally better. At least he didn't have the headache.

His body protested painfully as he curled out of his ball. He'd passed out sometime during his self-pity session the night before with his arms still wrapped around his legs and his head on his knees while he sat on the ground. The armor had kept him locked in that position all night. He groaned loudly as his back popped.

"_Dammit_. I'm getting too old for this shit."

"You must be. Apparently you're deaf, too."

Tony whipped around, repulsors whirring to life, to find Gretel perched on top on a rock nearby. She had a rag out on her lap and seemed to be rubbing oil into some of the joint of her rotating crossbow. She paused to glance in his direction when he didn't respond.

"We arrived over an hour ago. Ben was afraid you might have died in that suit of yours."

Tony let the helmet fold back from his face, relishing the feel of the cool breeze after being cooped up for so long. He cast a glance around the clearing they were very much alone in.

"Where are the others?"

Seeming satisfied now that he was talking back to her, Gretel returned to her rag and weapon.

"Hansel went to gather firewood. He figured it might be nice to stay out of a town for a couple days, get away from people. The other two went to make sure he didn't get lost."

Tony raised an eyebrow. He knew Hansel had a bad sense of direction, but damn.

"He'd really get lost without those two to help him?"

Gretel huffed a subdued laugh.

"Have a little faith. He may still manage it _with_ them."

Tony couldn't find it in him to come up with a response for that, so they lapsed into silence. It stretched between them for a few beats.

"How did you find me?"

Gretel shrugged.

"It wasn't easy."

Since that seemed to be all the answer he was likely to get, Tony set about dismantling the suit and getting it off. His AI needed a bit of help with a few of the pieces now that a few weeks had passed and he hadn't been able to repair it between fights. His limbs were glad to be free of their burden, even if his entire body felt grimy with sweat. Maybe there was a stream or a pond nearby he could rinse off in. It wouldn't be the first time he'd had to resort to such measures since coming to Hansel and Gretel's world. (He still wasn't sure if they had an official term for it and he sure as Hell didn't feel right about calling it 'Earth'.)

"Listen, Stark-"

"Can we not, actually?"

He turned around to shoot Gretel an almost pleading look as he cut her off. He just really did not have the patience or desire to deal with what she had to say.

"Look, I get it, okay, Gretel? I'm an outsider and I can't be trusted in the long run. It's okay. I'm used to it. I overreacted yesterday. Call it stress from being stranded on an alien fucking planet without a clue if my boyfriend is actually going to be able to _find_ me or not!" He was starting to get emotional again and, _dammit_, that was exactly what he'd been trying to avoid. "I just…I don't want to talk about it. I won't mention your magic again, alright? We can pretend it never happened."

Gretel was looking at him with shock written across her face. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times before frowning and seeming to concentrate for a minute. Tony waited far more patiently than he would have normally, too drained from the recent stress and the less-than-restful night.

"I was…actually going to say that I don't know how to _use_ my magic. We only discovered I had it about a year ago and it's not exactly like the witches we hunt are lining up to teach me." Her face wrinkled in disgust. "I'm not like them, anyway. I'm a White Witch, like my mother. It's a different kind of magic."

Tony blinked, then blinked again.

"Oh."

Well, he felt like a total ass.

"And I probably could have reacted better during the fight yesterday, too. Hansel tore me a new one after you left, if it helps at all."

The edge of Tony's mouth tugged upwards in a smile.

"You were protecting yourself. And your family. Besides, I did kind of spring it on you. I've been told I'm not very good at timing announcements well."

Like when he'd told Bruce that he was banging the Norse God of Mischief while they'd been bent over a lab table full of unstable chemicals. The confession caused a twin smile to appear on Gretel's face. She gave him a sly look.

"You mean like spilling the fact that you have a boyfriend while trying to avoid talking about feelings?"

Tony froze, mentally replaying their earlier conversation. Had he really said that?

"Uhhh…"

Much to his relief, Gretel only laughed.

"Its fine, you know."

He grinned at her sheepishly. It was a move he'd used on Pepper a million times and it seemed to work just as well now on Gretel as it did then. Meaning, not at all.

"Where I come from, there are a lot of people who don't approve of two males being in a relationship."

The witch huntress shrugged.

"It's the same here, but Hansel and I grew up more or less on the road. Sometimes the kindness of strangers was the only thing that kept us alive. People on the fringes of society, outcasts...they were generally more likely to help than others. It doesn't matter to us."

Tony nodded. He guessed that made sense.

"Loki would probably kill me if he got here and found out I'd been telling everyone he was a woman, anyway…even though sometimes he technically _is_…" Gretel looked confused and he hastened to add, "Shape shifter. It's a magic thing."

Apparently that was enough of an explanation to satisfy her. Their next silence was a much more comfortable one. Tony took the time to stretch out his muscles a bit more, using some of the moves he'd learned from all those exercise videos Pepper was so into. After a while, his attention drifted towards the weapon in Gretel's hands.

"So what's up with the obsessive oiling?"

She huffed in frustration and sent the thing a murderous look.

"It's _sticking_." She said it like it was one of the Cardinal Sins. "The damn thing is getting caught up on something and I can't figure out what. It's throwing off my timing."

"Here, let me take a look."

She handed the weapon over without a fuss, something that never would have happened when they'd first met. Even as the days had passed into weeks it would have been accompanied by suspicious looks and an ever-watchful glare. Tony turned the weapon this way and that in his hands.

"Have you asked Hansel about it?"

He glanced up at her and would have _sworn_ he caught a pout before she wiped the expression off her face.

"I need to learn how to fix these things myself."

Tony nodded.

"Probably a good idea. But it might be easier to learn if you asked him instead of trying to figure it out on your own."

He flipped it over to inspect the underside. Gretel arched an eyebrow at him.

"Advice you usually follow yourself?"

He grinned devilishly.

"_Never_. Ah! Here's your problem. Your spring's worn out, totally shot. You'll have to get it replaced. We can pick one up in the next town we pass through and I'll show you how."

She gave him a lopsided grin.

"You know, you might not be so bad after all."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

"I hate you. I hope you know that."

Loki couldn't help but smirk at Barton's words. They'd finally made it through the branches of Yggdrasil and, with Loki no longer having to guard him against life-threatening traps, the SHIELD agent had managed to get himself covered in the tiny, white puffballs of some foreign plant. The burrs clung to his hair and clothing with a determination that Loki found endlessly amusing, but perhaps the god was just feeling an overflow of excitement at _finally_ being in the same realm as his lover once more.

Now to get to the blasted mortal.

"I hardly see how you walking into a bush is my fault. You really should keep a better eye on where you're going. Honestly, I'm a bit surprised you ever made it so long as an assassin."

Clint glared at him, something that was absolutely nothing new.

"I didn't _walk into a bush_. You _pushed me_."

Loki presented him with an innocent look that they both knew was faker than Justin Hammer's claims about making weapons that worked.

"You seemed reluctant to take the exit from Yggdrasil's branches into this world. I felt it prudent to help you along the path."

It hadn't helped that Loki'd felt as though the hairs on the back of his neck were prickling during their last hour in the branches. It had set him on edge and made him all the more relieved to reach their destination. Clint just went back to grumbling as he trudged along behind the god and attempted to keep picking off puffballs.

"So I thought that path was supposed to lead us to Tony. What gives? You take a wrong turn or something? We need to stop and ask for directions?"

"The branches of the World Tree only touch certain _parts_ of this world, just as they do on Midgard. I have taken us to the entrance closest to his presence, but now we must travel the rest of the way to him."

Clint groaned.

"And how long is _that_ gonna take? I swear to God I am going to duct tape Stark's ass to a chair the minute we get him home so he can't pull this kind of shit again."

Loki smirked.

"He _does_ tend to disappear rather often."

There was a snort form behind him and Loki could just imagine Clint rolling his eyes to accompany the motion.

"I would pay _good money_ just to be able to go a month without someone trying to kidnap that man. Seriously?! How the Hell does he attract that much attention? It's like _literally every bad guy he meets_ has to try and abduct him."

Loki cast an amused look over his shoulder, but Barton wasn't paying attention.

"Surely not _every_ one."

The agent shot him a glare.

"Oh, please. You don't count."

"I don't?"

Barton's attention remained riveted on his shirt as he replied, his expression looking as though he was about two seconds away from ripping the thing off and just burning it.

"Well, you're not exactly a bad guy, are you? We all know it. You really don't have to keep pretending."

Loki had to admit he hadn't been expecting that. The comment made his pause long enough that Barton actually managed to catch up and walk beside him. He shot Loki a quizzical look as he drew level with the god.

"What? Why do you look so surprised?"

Loki hurried to school his expression into something more controlled and less easy to read. He hated to give anything away, even when there was no harm in it. Anthony was the only one he let his walls down around willingly.

"I suppose that would be because I am. I thought you hated me."

Clint shrugged, seeming unconcerned.

"Yeah, but that's just how I show my love. Just ask Tony. Or Fury. They're both very familiar with this form of my affection."

Loki allowed a soft smile to creep across his features.

"Somehow, I would not deem it wise for your director and myself to be having too many interactions so soon after my…stay with him. I must admit I would be even less fond of it than he, and I do not expect him to be pleased in the slightest."

Clint snorted with amusement. Loki very much doubted the archer had any idea how much his words affected the god. The Aesir was usually quite good at reading people and their interaction, but he had not suspected this shift in their relationship at all.

"You know Tony is gonna _totally_ tear him apart over that, right? I'm talking full-blown tantrum over here."

"He will have to wait at least a week, I dare say. I am not letting him out of my bed previous to that, not after this stunt he has pulled."

"Ew!" Retching sounds were made to clearly demonstrate Clint's lack of enthusiasm for the statement. "Too much information, man! I'm over here trying to comfort you in your time of need and you have to go and put mental images like _that_ in my head! I take it all back! You're totally a bad guy! I hate you _so_ much!"

He groaned out the last statement like a child bemoaning the denial of something it wanted. The sight was oddly heartwarming and Loki raised one hand to ruffle him companion's hair, using only the slightest bit of magic to dislodge the burrs that were still stick there. Clint immediately protested until he saw the puffballs floating away in the wind.

"Thank you, Agent Barton. Your efforts are much appreciated. I fear, though, that I shall remain ill at ease until we have retrieved Anthony and he is once more safe a

t home."

The nod of understanding he received in response was accompanied by a determined look and the disappearance of Clint's usual happy-go-lucky attitude. His only focus was the mission, the task of finding Tony and bringing him back alive and whole. It was good to see, and the god was reminded of exactly why he had made the decision to bring the archer along. As happily and care free as he seemed on a day-to-day basis, he was just as deadly as the rest of them, even more so in some ways.

Loki could feel the presence of his lover like a heart beating in rhythm with his own. His magic sang with the knowledge of being so close to that which it sought. It had grown accustomed to having Anthony close, of being so constantly near to his energies and presence. Though they had only been together for a short while by the standards of Asgard, Loki's magic had still latched on and it missed the familiar pulse of the inventor at its side. Loki missed him, too.

Acknowledging that the time for jokes had passed, Loki schooled his features into a serious expression. While he could feel the energy of the arc reactor and Anthony's own, there was no way to tell exactly what condition he was in. The god could only know that his lover was alive. He hoped that Anthony was safe, simply waiting for them to come and collect him, but they would be ready if that proved not to be the case. No one would stand in their way.

"He is only a few miles from here. Come. It should not take us long to get there."

Loki knew that there would come a time when he and his lover would be separated by something far more permanent than mere distance. He was from a race which had an average lifespan of half a millennium, while the lifespan of mortals was barely eighty years…and Anthony's likely less than that. If Loki's lover managed to outlive every doctor's prediction they would still have had only a few decades with each other. When they were children on Asgard, Thor had thrown tantrums that lasted longer than such a meager time. For Loki, it would be over in the blink of an eye.

But it was not the time to dwell on such things. Loki had known loss before. It walked with him like an old friend. He would enjoy the time he had while he had it, which meant that he needed Anthony back so that he could smother the insufferable man in his arms and just hold him there tightly. Privately, Loki admitted that maybe, just maybe, Anthony's loss would break him in ways that even his fall through the Void had not…


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

"Geez, is this Hammer guy really that bad?"

Tony snorted from where he was gathering wood for the fire back at camp, a task he was admittedly not very good at. They'd been staying in the woods for three days now, ever since the group had shown up the morning after Tony's little break down, and were all taking turns on chores. It was kind of nice to be away from people who did nothing but stare at him, but Tony didn't think camping would ever really be his thing. Still, he was having plenty of fun with Ben hanging off of his every word.

"Trust me, kid. He's worse. So Rhodey fires off this dud rocket from Hammer and it just bounces right off Vanko's chest. Clearly, it's up to me to save the day once again."

"Good Lord, Stark," came a very familiar, and very exasperated, voice from behind him, "are you still telling that story?"

"Oh, hush up, Hansel! Tell me, is it just the sheer size of your nose that prevents you from getting it out of other people's business?"

Tony turned to send the witch hunter a glare and instantly froze in place. The man leaning smugly against a tree wasn't dressed in a leather trench coat. His armor was molded to his torso and his arms were left bare while black cargo pants clothed his booted legs. Tony grinned and all but launched himself at his newly-arrived teammate.

"Clint! Fuck! I never thought I'd be so glad to see you in my life!"

Clint punched him lightly in the arm as they broke out of their bro-hug. (Because it was totally manly and not in any way desperate or clingy from relief.) Tony stuck his tongue out at him.

"Whatever, man. You know you can't resist my masculine wiles. Too bad for you, I don't swing your way."

Tony's eyes were already darting away from him to search the trees behind.

"Don't tell me you came here on your own, Barton. I know you like to have someone around to hold your hand."

"And quite a task it was. I do believe I had to save his life at least six times per hour. I was kept busier than on most quests with Thor."

The moment Loki stepped into sight it was like a ball of tension eased in Tony's chest. He knew a huge grin was breaking out across his face, but he couldn't even begin to think of stopping it. Going by the softness of Loki's gaze, he was feeling much the same. Clint was making retching noises off to the side that went completely ignored.

"Well, that certainly explains why you took your good, sweet time in getting here."

They were both inching forward, drawn to each other as if by a magnetic force.

"I came as quickly as I could."

They were standing nearly chest to chest by that point and Loki reached up to brush the knuckles of one hand along the side of Tony's throat. The mortal happily leaned into the touch.

"I knew you would…."

"Ummm…does somebody want to explain what's going on here?"

Tony nearly jumped out of his skin, having completely forgotten that Ben was even there. Loki leveled a vicious glare at the boy, clearly displeased by the interruption.

"Oh, yeah. Introductions. Right. Loki, Clint, this is Ben. He's one of the guys I've been traveling with while here. Ben, meet Clint and Loki."

Ben's eyes were darting between them. He apparently wasn't sure what to find more alarming, the fact that Loki wasn't actually a girl or the fact that Clint was a carbon copy of Hansel. Before he could spill the beans Tony grabbed Loki's hand and started pulling him along, not that it took much effort.

"C'mon. You have to meet the others! Camp is this way."

Tony all but plastered himself to Loki's side as they made the short trek back to camp. The god didn't seem to mind in the slightest, instead wrapping an arm around Tony's shoulders and pulling him closer. Once they were back home they would have the time to meticulously go over every inch of each other's bodies to be sure they were both alright.

It was Edward who noticed them first, if his slightly startled-sounding grunt was anything to go by. Gretel and Hansel immediately looked up, their hands flying to their weapons but relaxing upon seeing Tony and Ben.

"No fucking way!"

Clint was across the clearing in two seconds flat, pushing his face close to Hansel's in an effort to give him a better examination. Tony rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Hansel, Clint Barton. Clint, Hansel. Glad to see your social skills are as sparkling as ever, Birdbrain."

Clint shot a glare over his shoulder in response to Tony's words.

"Hey, I get paid to shoot arrows at people, not chat them up."

"And with good reason, clearly," he deadpanned. "Anyway, everyone, may I present Loki and Clint. Guys, meet Gretel, Edward, and Hansel."

Clint's attention was instantly divided between the two siblings.

"Wait. Hansel and Gretel? Like with the candy house?"

"They're witch hunters. The best in the business. Ooh! Gretel! Show Clint the crossbow! He's an archer, totally badass when he actually manages to get his shit together."

Loki's arm tensed around Tony's shoulder.

"Witch hunters?"

Gretel chuckled as she approached holding out a hand for him to shake.

"Relax. We only hunt dark witches. It's a pleasure to meet you. Tony never stops talking about you."

Loki took the offered hand and bent over it in a bow. He slid his gaze sideways to look at Tony, though.

"Is that so? Do tell me more."

"All good things, I swear. He's quite enamored by you."

Tony pouted.

"Really? There's a guy who looked just like your brother _right there_ and this is what you're going to talk about?"

"What's the matter, Anthony? I thought you liked being the center of attention?"

Tony had just opened his mouth to respond when the clearing very literally exploded. Dirt flew into the air before coming raining back down of their heads. Clint reacted immediately by grabbing Ben and pulling him to the ground, getting the most vulnerable one out of the line of fire. Tony dove across the clearing toward his suit.

"Witch!?"

Tony twisted as he landed, eyes searching for the cause of the disturbance. He spotted a beautiful, blonde woman near the tree line, magic swirling around her hands. Her lips were stretched into a wide grin that was all teeth as she sent a wink in Loki's direction. Tony couldn't be sure if the vicious growl came from himself or the God.

"Enchantress! What are you doing here, Amora?"

"Oh, you know," she sing-songed before switching to a much more dangerous tone, "taking something that doesn't belong to me."

Then she was shooting a beam of magic toward Hansel, laughing maniacally as she did. Tony reacted without even thinking, throwing himself at the other man. Like Hell he was going to let one of the few people he actually counted as a friend be taken out by some bitch in skin-tight green spandex. Their bodies collided just moments before the bolt of magic reached them.

Searing pain coursed through Tony's body like electricity, whiting out his vision. He distantly heard his own cries of pain being mirrored by Hansel's and Loki's near roar in the background. It felt like his very _being_ was being ripped from his skin and his every limb shuddered with the agony. Loki was so going to kill him…


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

"Anthony!"

Loki's gaze was riveted on his writhing lover for only a moment before he turned back to Amora, unleashing a torrent of raw magic in her direction. She was already retreating, as he knew she would. Still, he had the satisfaction of seeing his magic catch her from behind, burning her flesh as she fled. He hoped it left scars.

Then he was whirling away and dashing to Anthony's side, falling to his knees beside the man. Not far away, Gretel was cradling her brother in her arms. Clint was already checking his comrade's vital signs, but it seemed like the both of them were coming around. Anthony groaned and he sat up, one hand going to his head. Loki immediately placed a hand on either side of his lover's head and tilted it this way and that to examine him.

"How do you feel? Are you alright?"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, m'fine."

Loki wasn't even sure he could express the relief that flowed through him. For the first time in nearly a week, he pressed his lips against his lover's. His magic purred in satisfaction at having Anthony's energy nearby once more.

"Hey!" The shout startled Loki out of the kiss and he turned a surprised expression toward the glaring Hansel. "Hands off my god!"

Loki whipped back around to stare at Tony as the man scrambled backward and away. One hand was wiping desperately across his lips as though to rub the kiss away. Suspicion nudged at the back of Loki's mind and he frowned at the implications.

"Anthony?"

"You had best hope that spell from Amora is making me hallucinate," Hansel spoke as he staggered to his feet, pushing himself out of Gretel's arms, "because otherwise you are in an _unbelievable_ amount of trouble."

Clint's eyes were darting back and forth between Hansel and Tony, clearly putting the pieces together.

"Uh, dude, I think you need to take a look in a mirror."

By this time, Hansel's eyes had traveled to Tony and the two were staring at each other with wide eyes. Hansel's eyes narrowed before darting over to look at Loki.

"That woman who attacked us. Who was she?"

"Amora. The Enchantress. She is a powerful sorcerous who has been a thorn in my side since I was barely a few centuries old."

"Yeah…I hate her. A lot…I was really looking forward to running my tongue over every inch of your skin and getting fucked into our bed before sleeping for a week."

Ben was staring at Hansel like his brain might have exploded. Tony, for his part, seemed frozen in place. Edward just looked bored.

"We'll have to take you both back. I need my books and rest, but I should be able to put this right."

"Put what right, exactly?"

Gretel's entire body seemed tense and guarded. Loki instantly recognized the body language of a protective sibling and fought back the urge to groan. The last thing he wanted to be dealing with on top of everything else was a female Thor.

"It appears Amora's spell has managed to switch your brother's mind into Anthony's body and vice versa."

"Impossible," she insisted mulishly. "Magic doesn't have any effect on us."

"Perhaps not the magic from _your_ realm, but it is clear that you are not so immune to the magic of other realms. All eidir is the same throughout the realms, but its refined form, seidir can end up radically different."

"Gretel," Hansel spoke up from Tony's body, "I don't know how it happened, but he's telling the truth." He rubbed his hands over his face in a way that seemed distinctly exhausted. "Why can nothing ever be easy?"

"Well he's not taking you anywhere without the rest of us going with you."

Tony, stuck in Hansel's body, winced and glanced at Loki.

"Is that even a thing you can do? I mean, I don't know how much of the last few weeks has been you figuring out where I was and how much was travel time. How much longer would it take with a whole group?"

"Wait, did you say the last few _weeks_?"

Tony's brows furrowed at Clint's exclamation.

"Uh, yeah? You need to get your hearing aid checked?"

"Tony, it's been barely half a week since you disappeared."

Loki sighed.

"It is the result of a time distortion that often occurs between the realms. Time on Asgard, for example, will often move faster than it does on Midgard. I feared this would happen, but I had certainly hoped it would not be the case."

Tony groaned and sat heavily on a nearby rock.

"This situation just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?"

Loki crossed the space between them in only a couple steps, dropping to one knee and taking Tony's hands in his own. They were rougher than they should have been and felt wrong in his grip but he stroked them with his thumbs anyway. This was Anthony, no matter what body he was currently trapped inside.

"We _will_ be able to fix this, Anthony. I swear it."

The mortal all but fell forward to nestle his forehead in the crook between Loki's shoulder and neck. Loki tilted his head to press his cheek into the back of Tony's head. The hair against his cheek felt coarse in comparison to the thick, soft hair he was used to burying his nose in. Tony took a deep breath and exhaled heavily before pulling away.

"Alright. Well, I guess we should get started then. How did you get here? The Rainbow Bridge?"

"It is called the Bifrost, Anthony."

"And 'Midgard' is really called 'Earth' so I think we're even."

"Either way, that was not the route we took. I doubt even Thor could convince the All-Father to lend me the use of the bridge. We came via the branches of Yggdrasil."

"And we can all go back that way?"

Loki frowned, considering the absolute Hell it would be to get so many people through Yggdrasil without them getting lost or somehow killing themselves. He recognized the expression Tony was wearing though, even if it wasn't on his usual face. The mortal had already made up his mind that they would all stick together.

"It will not be easy, but it is possible." He stood, releasing Tony's hands and turning to the rest of the group. "Each of you will have to do exactly as I say if you wish to make it out alive. The branches are dangerous and unforgiving. You," he indicated Hansel, "will stay near me at all times."

He knew there was no need for him to deliver the same order to Anthony, the mortal was unlikely to move away any time soon. Hansel glanced at his sister before nodding.

"Whatever. I just want my own body back." He rubbed at his chest where the faint glow of the Arc Reactor shone through. "This thing isn't exactly comfortable."

Tony grinned at him apologetically.

"Yeah, sorry. You get used to it. Be glad I've already gotten rid of the palladium core. Then you'd really be in for a treat."

Hansel shrugged before grinning right back.

"Yeah, but you're the one who's going to have to shove a needle in your leg every couple of hours."

Tony groaned.

"Oh, God, you're _right_. Let's get this trip over with so I can grab some insulin."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Tony was endlessly fascinated by Yggdrasil. Loki had told him about his experiences with the tree, of course, especially from when the god had been younger. But seeing it in person was definitely a thousand times better than Tony could have possibly imagined it to be. He ran his hands along the bark-like walls and examined the flora that grew up the walls and along the winding pathways.

There was no light source that he could identify, no floating orbs or glowing flowers, but there were no problems seeing. It was like being in a full-lit room except for the fact that there were no lights. It reminded him greatly of Bilbo's Bag End from Lord of the Rings. (The thought irritated him ever so slightly because of his aversion to the series and Loki's love for it. This did make things a bit more clear.)

It almost, _almost_, made getting teleported to another world and having his mind switched into someone else's body totally worth it. Almost. It would probably mean more if he didn't know Loki would have taken him to Yggdrasil in a heartbeat if he'd only asked. They would have wound up here eventually.

Loki seemed on edge, though, and not even Tony's fascination with his surroundings could keep him from noticing that. He was tense in a way that spoke volumes about his current state of mind. The god was wary of every movement and sound, his guard up to a point that Tony hadn't seen since the mortal had convinced him to accompany an infiltration mission of Mandarin City. He eased away from the wall to bump up against Loki's side.

"Hey there, hot stuff, you come here often?"

Loki looked wholly unamused, but Tony had been pushing his buttons for long enough to notice the faintest glimmer in his eyes.

"Truly, Stark, is that the best you could come up with? Perhaps being trapped within that body has also limited you to its brain capacity."

"Oh, haha. I see traveling between the realms has only served to improve your sparkling outlook on life."

Clint snorted from behind them, clearly listening in. Having already been through the branches once, he was probably the least interested in his surroundings of anyone in the group.

"Nah. I think it was Director Fury's reaction to your disappearance that caused that. Took us three days to get your boy toy out of lock down."

"_What?!_"

Tony should have known, should have _fucking_ known that SHIELD would turn on Loki the moment Tony was out of the picture. Rage burned through his veins at the mere thought of it. Loki's hand found his shoulder while the rest of the group looked on with fascination.

"Be calm, Anthony. Nothing was done that could not be fixed. I have recovered completely from my time in the Director's care and he was simply made the decision he deemed best for the situation. Now is not the time to discuss it."

"You've _recovered_?!" Tony felt like his entire frame was going to start shaking with anger. "What the Hell did he do to you?! And don't you dare try and pull that, 'Nothing,' crap on me because we both know that's complete and utter bullshit."

Loki bristled, turning his full attention on Tony. His anger was just as real as the genius's, if more defensive.

"Now is _not_ the _time_. If you wish to dig through what is now the past then I suggest you at least wait until we have gotten to a safe location. That is, of course, unless you are hoping to suffer through another surprise attack. Perhaps you won't be so lucky as to survive this one."

"Oh, man!" Hansel said from off to the side, which was horribly off-putting since it was in Tony's own voice. "This is better than that bar fight in Camblerton with that chick with the hook. Berry?"

Loki whipped around so fast Tony almost lost his balance just watching him. The god stared in horror as Hansel popped another of the small blue fruits into his mouth before offering them up to Ben and his sister. Loki lunged forward to knock the berries from his hand before seizing Hansel by the chin. Tony winced. That was gonna bruise.

"You fool!" Loki hissed.

He all but pried Hansel's mouth open in moments and shoved his fingers in as far as they would go, dancing out of range as the witch hunter doubled over to expel the contents of his stomach. Tony approached to touch Loki's elbow, startled by his actions.

"What the Hell was that about?"

Loki seized Hansel by the front of his collar and hauled him back to his feet, gaze murderous. Gretel looked ready to intervene, but Tony waved her down. Loki wouldn't hurt Hansel, he was sure, not when Tony needed to come back to it.

"This is not your body to condemn, mortal!" And, okay, yikes. Tony hadn't heard Loki that furious since, like, the Chitauri invasion and that was definitely not a good sign. "You will not put this body in danger, am I understood? If you lose Anthony's form, know that your end will not be swift, nor will it be painless."

As attractive as Tony usually found it when Loki got protective, he was finding it distinctly disconcerting when directed at his own face. He reached out for Loki again, gently drawing him away from Hansel.

"C'mon, Lokes…It was an accident, okay? It won't happen again. Let's just get out of here and back home. Can you do that for me?"

"Do not patronize me, Stark."

And, okay, _OW_. Way to break out the last name and hit him where it hurt, but Loki was already whirling away and leading them down the corridor once again. Clint came up beside Tony , clapping him sympathetically on the shoulder.

"He's just a bit overwhelmed, I think. You know how he gets when emotions are involved. Just give him some time. Once we've got you back in the right body he'll settle down." Clint elbowed him affectionately in the ribs, attempting to lighten the mood. "It's a shame, though, you're so much prettier like this."

Neither of them laughed as they moved to follow after the god and Tony couldn't find it in him to even distract himself with Yggdrasil's surroundings. More than ever, he just wanted things to go back to normal. Hansel and Gretel hovered not far behind them with Ben and Edward bringing up the rear.

"So…what was that about again? This isn't my first time in unfamiliar territory. I know how to figure out if something is edible or not."

Clint glance backward, making eye contact with the man who should have been his mirror image.

"The food here is edible, but consuming any of it binds you to this place somehow. I don't know the details. Magic's not really my thing. Just…the point is, don't eat anything."

"Ummm…" Ben piped up nervously, "and exactly how long is it until we reach your world?"

"A couple of hours, nothing too bad. Don't worry, you're not going to starve to death."

Their chatter continued, but Tony tuned them out, focusing instead on Loki's retreating back. He wasn't more than a yard ahead and Tony knew he could hear every word, but he gave no sign of acknowledgement. It hurt, to see his lover's back so soon after their reunion. When Tony envisioned his rescue, this hadn't exactly been what he'd pictured.

Loki's moods were always volatile. It was just a product of dating the God of Mischief that Tony was often at the receiving end of them. He was used to it. He wasn't exactly the picture of stability himself so it wasn't like he could judge. But Loki had never walked away from him before, and it hurt more than Tony would have expected.

As insane as it seemed, Loki was one of the great constants in his life. He was like Pepper or Rhodey or JARVIS, except that he was also _more_. Tony felt guilty about it sometimes, how much he had allowed Loki to worm his way into the genius's life, but he'd also never been happier in his life. Besides, Avengers business had definitely gotten easier since Loki went off the market. But that was the problem with having good things, nice things, things that made him happy. Tony never got to keep them.

So, wasn't this just the story of his life? Tony had wanted something, to integrate magic in his suits, and someone, Loki, had warned him against it. But Tony could never take that as an answer could never just settle for what he had. Instead he'd had to push for what he wanted, push and push until it was too late and disaster struck. And then he'd persevered, as always. He'd survived. He'd made it in that world and gotten out, maybe he hadn't made it home quite yet, but he would. That was a certainty.

But it'd cost him greatly. Afghanistan had cost him Yinsen. Iron Man and the arc reactor cost him Obie. How many people had he lost over the years? And he'd never managed to learn his lesson. Now, facing the loss of the most important person in his life, Tony wondered if it was too late.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Loki was exhausted by the time they made it back to the quinjet. He didn't even have the energy left to spell away the mud that clung to their clothing. Keeping his senses on such high alert during the whole trek back had been draining. He felt dead on his feet and, now that he was back on Midgard, he knew he could finally let his guard down just a bit. His irritation was in no way helped by the fact that the first group of tourists had arrived at the Mayan ruins while they'd been gone and were staring and taking pictures of the group as they trudged back to the Quinjet. Loki wanted little more than to wring their necks. He was only grateful that Barton had slipped away almost as soon as they had made it through the portal in order to prepare their flight back.

The god collapsed onto one of the quinjet's benches as soon as he was inside, Anthony setting down cautiously beside him. The mortal was clearly trying to make sure he kept at least a bit of a distance even though his desire to press up against Loki's side was written all over his face…Hansel's face, at least. Loki growled in irritation, already regretting the way he had snapped at Anthony while they were within the branches. He reached out to wrap an arm around Anthony's waist and pull him closer. His lips pressed into the mortal's too course hair in a lingering kiss. He smelled wrong, not like himself.

"You may be right about me getting grumpy if I do not take a nap."

Green eyes found honey-colored ones and silently begged for an accepted apology. Anthony leaned closer and tilted his head until his nose was pressed to the underside of Loki's jaw.

"It feels strange, to be like this. I don't fit against you the same why I used to." The mortal's voice was fragile as he spoke. "I don't want to lose you."

The god held him all the tighter.

"You may rest assured that is not an option."

"Uh, yeah. That is just really weird to see."

Loki shot a glare that went completely ignored at Hansel and the others as they climbed into the plane. Gretel elbowed her brother in the ribs good naturedly before sliding onto a bench with the young Benjamin.

"What's that, Hansel? You're beginning to question your own sexuality? I can understand, what with seeing yourself cuddle up with such a nice-looking young man."

"Hey!" Anthony peeked out from his hiding place within Loki's arms. "That's 'nice-looking young _god_' to you!"

Gretel just laughed while Hansel flopped down beside her.

"Just to me a favor, okay guys? No defiling my body while I'm not in it."

Loki felt a wicked grin twist his features. He purposely used one finger to stroke the side of Anthony's temporary face while maintaining eye contact with Hansel.

"And once you are back in it? Will we be welcome to defile it then?"

Hansel choked as Gretel burst out laughing once again. Even Ben was snickering until Hansel shot him a filthy glare. Clint popped his head back from where he was at the controls.

"All aboard? Let's blow this popsicle stand!"

"To the tower?"

Loki pressed another kiss into Tony's hair.

"Yes, my dear, and then I shall set you to rights and all will be well once more. It shouldn't take more than a day or so."

"You know," Clint said as he closed the back hatch and lifted into the air, "we might not have that kind of time."

"What do you mean?" Gretel asked.

"Well, there's this whole deal with Fury. The rest of the team has been holding him off but he's gonna keep trying to get at Loki because of Tony's disappearance. We can only keep him away for so long."

"Dammit, Fury!" Anthony grouched. "I'd really appreciate it if he could actually make my life easier for once instead of more difficult."

"Well, he did save your life that one time with the palladium."

"In the most inconvenient and horrible way possible! He had Natasha stab me and Coulson threatened to taser me if I tried to leave my own house!"

"Still saved your life! Besides, it doesn't matter. We've still got to find a way to stop him now."

"Can't we just hide? I mean, if this Fury guy is expecting you one place, shouldn't you just go somewhere else?"

"If only it were that easy! Fury knows where all my houses are and it's not like I can really ever go anywhere without getting noticed."

"And I actually work for the man. All my resources are his."

"It is all well enough," Loki added, "all of my things are at the tower and I would need them. Better not to squander even more magic on summoning them to somewhere else."

"Can't you just tell him that you had your bodies switched?"

"Oh, Ben," Anthony wiggled around in the god's arms to throw one hand dramatically across his forehead, "your naïve trust and positive outlook are so refreshing! May you never lose this innocence! Seriously, though, no dice. Telling him about the mind swap would probably just get us _all_ locked up."

"In which case I would be unable to set you to rights."

"What we need to do is figure out how to show him I'm okay without letting him know I'm actually totally fucked up, like that time those AIM agents shot me in the leg and I _really_ didn't want to go to medical."

Clint burst out laughing, but Loki felt a twitch of irritation at the reminder of that incident. He hadn't yet moved into the tower at the time and didn't find out about Anthony's injury until hours later.

"Dude! That was great! Cap's face when he found out what you did was priceless!"

"Well," Ben spoke hesitantly, "isn't the solution kind of obvious?"

"You got an idea, kid?"

"Can't Hansel just pretend to be you? I mean, you've been with us for a few weeks. I'm sure he could mimic a few of your mannerisms."

"Not enough to get past Fury, though. He's one shrewd bastard, I'll give 'im that."

"So go with him."

"'scuse me?"

Loki's mind instantly caught on to what Clint was suggesting and he pulled Anthony a bit closer. That was certainly something he was not at all comfortable with.

"While Hansel pretends to be you, you can pretend to be me. Just follow him into the meeting and keep him from giving you both away. Easy peasey."

"You're kidding me, right? What if Fury wants me to shoot something? Or talks about something super confidential? Way better that we just stick a com unit in his ear and a listening device in his pocket."

"Now you're just grasping at straws. Tony, you know for a fact that they first thing SHIELD's gonna do is scan for bugs. They'll pick up on that nonsense in a heartbeat…and what in the world would Fury expect you to shoot? You know that's not how my job really works, right?"

"I don't know! Maybe some intern pissed him off that morning! I have no idea how your crazy spy world works! I just get dragged into it after you've been missing for a couple weeks! Or when you're using me to go undercover and you don't fucking tell me!"

"Oh, my God! That was _one_ time!"

"And I'm not letting it go! I got shot at, man! You know how much I hate getting shot at!"

"Oh, please, they were only assault rifles! Don't be such a baby!"

Anthony almost pushed out of Loki's arms in his attempt to get to the cockpit but the god pulled him back, the inventor landing squarely in his lap. His chin found the top of Anthony's head even as the man continued to shout at his teammate. It was nice that at least somethings never changed.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"I just want it to go on record that this is a horrible fucking idea," Tony hissed as he eyes darted frantically around the SHIELD compound they were in.

Guards had met them at the door and now they were being led directly to Fury's office. Hansel freshly shaved to match Tony's signature style and shoved in a suit while Tony had swapped the leather outfit Hansel had been wearing for Clint's sleeveless uniform and how did Clint even fight in this thing? Tony felt like the back of it was trying to crawl up his ass!

"So you've said about a million times already," Hansel grumbled. He was doing well, though, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking sullen in a way that actually matched up pretty well with what Tony would do. "Let's just get this over with, okay?"

One of their guards knocked on Fury's door and held it open once there was a noise from inside. Tony and Hansel filed in before the door was snapped shut again. No doubt the guards planned to hang around until the meeting was over. Fury sat behind his desk looking over some paperwork and completely ignoring them. It kind of pissed Tony off, but he couldn't exactly snap at him while pretending to be Clint. Luckily, Hansel had him covered.

"So," Hansel strolled forward, not quite with Tony's level of swagger, but it was close enough, he hoped, "three days, huh?"

Fury calmly set aside the packet he had been perusing and sent a glare Hansel's way.

"Mr. Stark, I took the actions I deemed necessary given the situation and the information I had on hand. Loki is a known-criminal with a history of violent behavi-"

"Oh, don't try playing high and mighty. We both know what really happened. You've wanted a piece of Loki for ages and you've been pissed off ever since he moved into the tower! With me out of the way, you had the perfect opportunity!"

Fury slammed his palms into the desk as he surged to his feet.

"If I was looking for an _excuse_, I wouldn't have had to wait for you to disappear, Stark! But you are right about one thing, I am _pissed_. Loki invaded my God damned world and the rest of you seem to have completely forgotten about it! So I'll be keeping my eye on him. Maybe this time you made it back, maybe this time it _was_ an accident, but I'll be watching because the one time it isn't, the one time he so much as puts his _toe_ across the line, I'm hauling his delusional ass right back into a cell. You fuckers may be fooled by this act of his, but I'm not and I'll be _damned_ before I let him hurt my team, do I make myself perfectly clear?"

Tony was stunned, mostly because that sounded like actual _concern_ in Fury's voice. Kinda. Almost. Fury's version of concern, anyway, which actually sounded pretty damn angry. Hansel's gaze flickered toward him, but he wasn't sure there was anything he could say without blowing their cover. But at least he could try.

"Sir?" Clint called Fury 'Sir', right? "I think you know I'm the last person who would defend Loki, but this isn't the same guy who attacked us before. I'm not saying he's on my list of favorite people, but I don't think he's going to be causing any more trouble."

Fury was silent for a long moment, his one eye glaring daggers at Tony. The genius was just starting to panic that he'd lost them their cover when the director spoke again.

"I'm well aware of your opinions when it comes to Loki, but do you honestly expect me to be able to take any of this at face value? Loki is a master manipulator, not to mention he's controlled minds in the past. So I don't really give a fuck what list you have him on. Someone has to keep watch and it's pretty damn clear that person is gonna be me. And don't think I'm just gonna let that little jailbreak the team pulled slide."

Repercussions flew through Tony's head. Even though the team operated outside of the normal chain of command, the Avengers technically did belong the SHIELD. Even Tony, who'd never officially been upgraded from his consultant status, was answerable to them when he was 'on the clock.' He knew Fury wasn't about to hand them all suspensions. That would be incredibly stupid considering they were the world's last line of defense. He could still make their lives extremely difficult, though. It didn't help that he knew exactly how to hit each and every one of them where it hurt.

"If you're going to pull something," Hansel said in a way that was decidedly hostile, "then I suggest you go ahead and do it. I've never been overly patient."

Fury straightened with a smirk.

"And I've never been overly indulgent, but I do love a good deal. I'll be sending Agent Wilkes by the tower with a packet of your new assignments. I expect a prompt delivery of SHIELD's new tech."

Tony couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes. Of course Fury was going to use this opportunity to get even more out of him than usual and, with Loki and the team on the line, Fury knew there was no way Tony could deny it. Shrewd, one-eyed bastard. Unfortunately, that small movement was all it took to draw him to Fury's attention.

"Agent Barton, I'll be expecting both you and Agent Romanov to report at 0500 Monday morning. The two of you will be teaching the entrance level hand-to-hand classes for the foreseeable future." His grin was downright malicious. "Congratulations."

Tony groaned loudly, knowing that would be Clint's exact reaction to being shoved into a room full of newbies.

"You're evil!"

"Add it to my damn resume. Now get out of my office, both of you. I have better things to do than deal with all the trouble you mother fuckers bring to my doorstep."

"Yeah, yeah," Hansel drawled. "Don't get your panties in a twist, Nickie."

Fury's growl followed them back out into the corridor where Hansel clapped his hands at the waiting guards, grinning broadly.

"Alright, kids! Daddy's leaving! I know, I know, you're going to miss me, but what can you do?" He grabbed onto Tony and started dragging him back the way they had entered. "We'll see you next time!"

They hightailed it out of there and back to where Happy was waiting with one of Tony's cars, both collapsing as soon as they were in the back and the car was pulling away from the curb. Loki, who sat with his back facing the partition, only raised an eyebrow.

"Well, it looks like I won't be needing to dismantle all of SHIELD to get you two back. How did it go?"

"Alright, I think." Tony moved across the car to curl into Loki's side, savoring the way Loki's arm immediately wrapped around him. "Fury's an asshole."

"I was under the impression we were already well aware of that fact."

Hansel snorted and Tony aimed a kick in his direction, missing wildly.

"You were great, by the way. That line in front of the guards? _I_ almost thought you were me!"

"Yeah, well, you're not as great as you think you are. I just imagined if someone tried to pull that kind of crap on Gretel."

Tony gasped theatrically in mock horror.

"I am a beautiful and unique snowflake! Babe," he turned to Loki, "tell him I'm a beautiful and unique snowflake!"

Loki pressed a kiss to his hair.

"You are made up of the same decaying organic matter as everyone else, love, even us gods. We just decay at a much slower rate."

Tony pouted.

"I'm hurt! Deeply! How could you say such a thing? Do I look decaying to you?" He whirled on Hansel. "Look at that face! That face is not decaying!"

Hansel was laughing uproariously, only making Tony sulk more.

"Don't worry. You'll have your beautiful, decaying face back soon. Just a couple days, right?"

Loki dipped his head once in a nod, his face losing all trace of humor. His arm drew Tony just a bit closer and the genius let him. This situation was hard on all of them.

"Thor is retrieving some of the supplies I need that weren't in the Tower. I was able to send him a message while waiting for you. I should be able to narrow it down between the last few spells within a few hours of returning to the Tower. I just need to run a few tests and the outcome will tell me everything I need to know. Ah, and Pepper is waiting for you when we get back."

Tony groaned.

"Oh, God, she's gonna kill me. Just go ahead and tell me. How bad is it?"

"She has been very worried about you."

Hansel's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Who's Pepper?"

Tony scrubbed callused hands across his face.

"My PA. Uh, personal assistant. Or she was, at least, until I signed over my title of CEO to her. She runs my life, literally. Runs my company, too. You'll like her. Everyone likes her. She's the most amazing human being ever. But I'm also pretty sure she's about to kill me with a shoe."

Hansel looked like he didn't quite know what to do with that information.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Loki thought the tower was getting a bit crowded for his tastes. There were at least ten floors set aside exclusively for the Avenger's use and yet it still felt like there were too many people. Of course, this probably had something to do with the fact that the entire team, plus the four who had accompanied them back from the other realm, were crowded into the living room of the common floor. At least it didn't seem like there was going to be bloodshed anytime soon.

The Avengers were, of course, extremely glad to see Tony again, though there was some initial confusion over the whole body-swap. Steve couldn't seem to stop looking back and forth between Clint and Tony. The inventor sat on the couch, relaxing a bit and enjoying the welcome home from his team while Loki sat in front of him on the floor, leaning back between the man's legs and studying his magical texts for a solution to the problem they faced. Spells of the mind and soul were tricky. Without the web Amora's magic had left behind, Loki would have had no hope of figuring out how to help his love.

"So are there versions of the rest of us in other realms, too?"

"Aw, what's the matter, Cap? Jealous?"

Loki tried his best to ignore the smug look on Barton's face. He was certainly enjoying this a bit too much for the god's comfort. Still, he couldn't blame the archer. His mere mortal mind surely couldn't comprehend the gravity of the situation.

"No." The blush rising up the Captain's neck said otherwise. "I just think we should be prepared for that possibility if it is one."

Tony snorted, his fingers finding their way into Loki's hair and combing it back lazily. From this angle, facing away from his love with only fingertips and thighs touching him, Loki could almost believe that things were as they were meant to be. He closed his eyes for a moment to savor the feeling before focusing on his books once again.

"Of course it's a possibility. Whether its other realms or other dimensions, there are always going to be other versions of us out there. Clint and Hansel, though, I think they just look similar. They're not the same person."

A croaking sound filled the room and Tony cursed, He twisted the dial on his bracer several times before reaching for one of the vials on his hip. He'd replaced both items as soon as they were back at the tower. Hansel trotted over to help him jab the needle into his thigh and deliver the potion that was supposed to help with his host body's illness. Tony grimaced as he pulled the needle back out.

"JARVIS, place an order for some insulin and injectors. Let's see just how similar this is to diabetes, shall we?"

"At once, Sir. You should also be informed that Ms. Potts has been asking about you and is heading up to your current floor as we speak."

Loki had turned back to his books already, but he knew his lover was grinning. The god had, admittedly, taken some time to truly understand the nature of Anthony's relationship with his PA-come-CEO. Pepper Potts was no threat, though. She and the genius were impossibly close, but it wasn't something that bred romance. They were, as Tony had deemed, purely platonic soulmates.

"How long do we have before she gets here?" the genius asked while looking around nervously.

His answer was the sound of the elevator doors sliding open. Loki glanced up to see Pepper hurrying across the room to wrap Hansel up in her arms.

"Tony! You had us so worried! Steve said there'd been an explosion in the lab and that Loki had been taken by SHIELD! Nobody could tell me what was going on!"

She pulled away to hold the man at arm's length as she looked him over for injuries with teary eyes. Hansel looked completely stunned.

"Wow…Um, uh, hi."

Loki and Tony shared a grin. They knew exactly what that look meant. Across the room, Gretel snorted at her brother's behavior.

"Sorry about that, Pep." The genius didn't sound very sorry. "Amora showed up as Loki and Clint were about to bring me back and there was a bit of a body swap incident."

Pepper dropped her hands from Hansel's shoulders and ran them over her face.

"Honestly, Tony. I wish I could say I was more surprised."

Gretel sidled up to her brother and held out a hand toward Pepper.

"Hi, my name is Gretel and this is my brother Hansel. Tony stayed with us while he was in our world. Over there are Edward and Ben."

Edward grunted in acknowledgement of the introduction while Ben popped up from where he'd been devouring some of Loki's other spellbooks. The boy seemed fascinated by everything, which was actually pretty endearing to Loki in a way that reminded him greatly of a Midgardian puppy. Pepper seemed a bit overwhelmed but shook her hand on autopilot.

"How do you even get _into_ these situations?"

Anthony laughed.

"Occupational hazard. No worries, though, Loki just has to get some last spell components together and figure out exactly which spell Amora used to switch us and then he can put us back in the correct bodies. Shouldn't take more than a few days. Sorry. I guess this means I won't be able to make that department chair meeting tomorrow."

Loki was unduly amused as Pepper's expression turned murderous.

"You've missed the last three on those meetings in a row, Tony! You promised me you'd come to this one!"

Anthony held up his hands defensively.

"What do you want me to do? I'm in someone else's _body_. A fact, by the way, that we're having to hide from Fury so he doesn't try and drag Loki back into custody again. I can't exactly pull what we did at SHIELD and pretend to be Clint while Hansel pretends to be me."

Pepper clearly wasn't having any of that. She crossed her arms over her chest and squared her shoulders in a show of defiance.

"Live Model Decoy."

"What?"

"You can video call into the meeting with Hansel on the screen and you just out of sight feeding him answers or things to say. I'd tell you to just call in if I thought for half a second that you wouldn't just have JARVIS do it and copy your voice."

Anthony pouted, winding him arms around Loki's shoulders and pulling him back so the genius could bury his face in the crook of the god's neck.

"This is the welcome home I get. Why did I ever give her my company, Lo? She's so mean to me."

"Just because you gave away your company doesn't mean you don't still have to do any work, love. You have far less responsibilities now than you did before you turned over the reins, don't forget. You should be thanking her for putting up with you, not making her life harder."

The inventor made a noise of offence as the rest of the room laughed. Pepper swooped over to place a kiss on the top of Loki's head before pressing a matching one to Tony's.

"The meeting's at ten in the morning. I expect you to call me five minutes beforehand to set up the video feed." She turned to Hansel, her expression melting into something much softer. "Are you alright with that? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to volunteer you."

Anthony popped up to make wild gestures behind Pepper's back that were clearly telling Hansel to refuse.

"Yeah, absolutely. I'd love to."

Pepper smiled at him before shooting one last glare in Anthony's direction.

"I look forward to hearing from you both tomorrow, then. I've still got a pile of work left to do so I'm heading back down. I expect a place at the table for dinner tomorrow night. And call Rhodey, Tony! He's been just as worried as I was!"

The genius rolled his eyes and waved her off.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll do it tonight. Go back to terrorizing my company with your ridiculous efficiency and work ethic."

She pressed another kiss into his hair.

"I'm glad you're back."

"Yeah, me too."

They shared a tender look before Pepper turned away again and headed for the elevator. As soon as she was gone, Anthony turned to shoot Hansel a wicked grin.

"So, Pepper, huh?"

Hansel looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jaw.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Hey, no need to get defensive. You've clearly got great taste." His grin dropped. "And she's very important to me. So if you hurt her, I will kill you in the slowest, most painful way I can think of."

Gretel laughed.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

In Tony's opinion, there was absolutely, positively no reason to have a meeting where you put the head of every department in Stark Industries in the same room. Seriously, who thought that was a good idea? News flash, it wasn't. He totally understood the logic behind monthly reports from each department. If there was anything he'd learned from Obie, it was the importance of paying attention to what was happening in his own company. That didn't mean he had to actually see these people face to face. Still, he feared Pepper's wrath a whole lot more than he feared the repercussions of putting the head of R&amp;D in the same room as the head of Legal and 9:45 AM found him in his lab with Hansel, video calling Pepper who would route them into the meeting room.

"This tech is _amazing!_ I've never seen anything even remotely like this before."

"Yeah, well, I invented most of it. Which means you'll have to curb your enthusiasm during this meeting."

"About that. What exactly does this meeting entail again? Because I'm not gonna be able to keep up with a bunch of talk about stuff like this," he gestured at the glowing, holographic screens in front of him, "even with you here to talk me through it."

"Don't worry," Pepper comforted him from the other end of the video. "This is mostly business and number stuff. Tony doesn't usually even pay attention anyway. If you need a few extra seconds, it shouldn't be too noticeable."

Tony pouted, but couldn't exactly deny it.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just get this thing over with, okay? The sooner it's done, the better."

Pepper rolled her eyes and stood from behind her desk, the screen on her end jostling a bit as she picked it up.

"Alright, Tony. Then I suggest you get out of the shot. I'm heading over to the meeting room now."

The others were all gathered by the time she got there, chatting amongst themselves and being generally boring, but Tony's standards. Pepper quickly set the holographic screen with Hansel on it down in front of Tony's usual spot and took the seat beside it.

"I hope everyone is well this morning," she said to draw the rooms attention. "I'm afraid Mr. Stark is a bit tied up in his lab at the moment so he'll be video conferencing in to this meeting. It shouldn't cause much of a disturbance to the proceedings."

The heads of the various departments didn't look completely convinced, but they didn't say anything, either.

"Alright," Hansel spoke through the screen. "Let's get started."

Jacobs, the head of Human Resources, immediately jumped in to voice the same damn complaint he'd brought up in the last six meetings Tony had attended and it was like the flood gates had opened. Pepper did her best to field most of it, but it was still twice as exhausting for Tony as it normally was. He actually had to _pay attention_ this time around so he could get the answers to Hansel without a huge delay and it wasn't like he actually cared about any of this stuff anyway. The head of R&amp;D, a miniscule woman by the name of Josephine Camble, was the only person in the room that actually had a brain. He'd snapped her up straight out of college as an intern and had been overjoyed with her developments. She'd been promoted to head of the department when she proved to be the only one that didn't blink at the transition from weapons to clean energy and consumer products. Tony kind of wanted to clone her.

By the time the meeting drew to a close an hour later, Tony wanted nothing more than a nice, long nap. Hansel seemed to be of a similar opinion. He was slumped back in Tony's desk chair and looking dangerously like he was about the slide to the floor at any moment. Pepper was giving them a judgmental look as she returned to her office.

"Oh, come on, you two. It was hardly that bad."

Tony made a disgruntled kind of noise.

"On the contrary, Pep, I think it was _exactly_ that bad. I hate these meetings. Why do you make me go to them?"

"Because you are the majority shareholder of the company, meaning you have the controlling interest, _and_ you're the driving force behind it. Tony, you are aware you come up with at least half of all the products we put out to market, right?"

"Which is why it would be so much better for me to spend the time you drag me to these awful meetings in the lab instead!"

Pepper's expression told him she wasn't buying it for a second.

"Try again, Tony. Or better yet, just do your job. I really don't ask for that much from you."

"What about a new pair of shoes?" Tony suggested. "I could buy you a new pair of shoes every month you don't make me go to one of these things."

"I hardly need you to buy me more shoes, Tony. Find a new bribe. And no rabbits!" Tony pouted. She remained wholly unsympathetic. "Anyway, did you call Rhodey last night?"

The genius shifted a bit uncomfortably.

"I lost track of time."

Pepper gave him a disapproving look.

"_Call him_, Tony. He's your friend, too, you know."

"I know! I just got really busy!"

"Just make sure you get around to it today, okay? I've got to get back to work."

"Alright, Pep. Make sure to take a coffee break every once and a while, okay?"

She smiled at him.

"Absolutely. Will that be all, Mr. Stark?"

"That'll be all, Ms. Potts."

They shared one last smile as the call ended and Tony stretched as soon as the screen went blank. Hansel was frowning at the screen.

"Has anyone ever told you that you and Pepper seem really…close?"

Tony snorted.

"You and about every other person ever. I don't get it."

"You don't?"

"No! Pepper's like my sister! Do people think you and Gretel are dating?"

Hansel wrinkled his nose a bit but shrugged.

"Every so often, if they don't already know we're siblings. We used to share the same room in taverns before Edward joined up with us and we spent all our time camping instead."

Tony snorted as the other man stood and they headed for the door.

"I bet that led to more than just a few awkward situations."

"Eh," Hansel shrugged. "It reduced the amount of bar fights I got into."

Tony had to laugh at that.

"Good answer."

Loki was waiting for them in the communal kitchen, loitering off to the side with one of his spell books while Steve stood at the stove with Ben chopping various ingredients.

"Hey," the patriot greeted. "The others have already eaten but JARVIS said you two hadn't had anything before you went to the meeting. We thought you might be hungry."

Tony snatched a bit of cheese off of the counter and popped it into his mouth.

"Thanks, Cap! You're awesome!"

"Anthony."

The genius immediately veered away from the counter and headed over the god, settling into the chair beside him. Loki reached out with one hand to lay it against the side of Tony's head as he ran a finger along the page he was reading, forming words with his lips but not uttering a sound. Not really sure what was going on but knowing there was definitely something, the genius held perfectly still. He could feel every other pair of eyes in the kitchen on them.

"Ah," Loki said with a small smile. "There it is."

The hand on the side of Tony's head slid down just a bit to cup his cheek and rub a thumb across his skin. Loki's gaze slid sideways to meet his own and the god's smile grew even larger. Tony smiled back in return.

"Well?"

Loki pressed a quick kiss to his lips, ignoring Hansel's indignant squawk.

"I have isolated the spell Amora used to switch your minds. It is a curse which sucks the soul from the body leaving nothing but an empty husk behind. It was only because both of you were hit that the spell reacted in such a way."

"But you can set us back, right? Reverse the effects?"

Loki pulled him in for another kiss.

"You have nothing to fear, my love. You shall be back in your own body before nightfall."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"Are you sure this is safe?"

Loki raised one delicate eyebrow at Gretel.

"I have centuries of magical experience at my disposal, well over a thousand years. I have studied with the greatest mages who have lived during my time. If there is anyone who has the ability to right this spell work, it is I."

She still looked nervous.

"And you're sure it will work?"

"Be at peace, my lady," Thor said, cutting off what would no doubt be an acidic retort from Loki. "My brother's skill with magic is unparalleled by any other and he cares deeply for friend Stark. He will do all that is within his power to ensure nothing goes awry with this spell work."

The god huffed and left them to it, instead crossing over to where Hansel and Anthony stood.

"You are ready, then?"

The two of them nodded.

"I never thought it would be so weird to be in someone else's body," Hansel said. "Admittedly, though, I've never really thought about it period."

Anthony snorted.

"At least we're close in height. Imagine switching bodies with Steve. You'd have the super strength to deal with, too."

Hansel wrinkled his nose.

"Or Edward."

The troll grunted from across the room and the two men burst out laughing. Anthony leaned into Loki.

"Yeah. We're ready."

"Very well, then. We shall proceed. I should warn you, the rending of a soul from the body can be very painful. It will be as you both experienced upon the first casting of this spell. The close proximity of your persons will ensure that the extracted souls are transferred into the correct vessels, but it will not be painless."

Anthony and Hansel both nodded. Loki was well aware that neither of them was a stranger to pain. He gave them a sharp nod of approval before shooting a glare at the others around the room.

"I had been unaware this particular occasion would garner such and audience."

Thor laughed boisterously and clapped his brother on the back.

"Verily! It is quite the occasion indeed to see such an impressive display of your magic!"

"Oh, yeah," Clint agreed. "You should be glad we didn't bring popcorn."

Loki fought down the urge to curse the archer. He was starting to honestly miss the days where they had been cordial at best.

"I expect no interference."

"Of course," Steve nodded with that natural kind of authority he seemed to carry with him everywhere. "We don't want to jeopardize what you're doing here. Whatever we need to do to stay out of the way, that'll be exactly what we do."

The god nodded to him in thanks.

"Silence would be greatly appreciated, though I know it will be a difficult task for several of you." His green eyes slid to linger on Clint. "Other than that, simply make sure you do not get between Hansel, Anthony, and myself. I truly do not have the patience to deal with even more souls switching themselves about."

"You've got it."

He and the others drew backward until they were well out of the way, leaving the vast majority of the room open to the three who would actually be participating in the ritual. Loki positioned his lover and the witch hunter so that they were shoulder-to-shoulder, pressed against each other. He could not take the chances of anything going wrong or missing his target. If one of them were to be hit and not the other, the soul would be lost forever. He certainly had not prepared a container to store it in.

"Now, do not move."

He stood several paces away from them and allowed his eyes to slide shut. Reaching deep within himself, he pulled up his magic and let the warmth flow throughout his person. Amora had no doubt prepared this spell in advance so she could simply release it upon command, but Loki would need to craft it right along with the casting of it. The god's magic had always been eager to please him and shape itself to his will, though, and it twisted itself just as happily now. It wasn't long before he was ready.

Opening his eyes once again, Loki saw the familiar green glow of magic surrounding his hands and focused it into his palms. It swirled there in a mock display of aura not dissimilar to what the Midgardians referred to as the Milky Way. The magic circled its dense center and gave off tiny tails of loose magic that just didn't quite fold in all the way. Loki smiled softly at it, as one might at a pet they were particularly fond of.

His gaze flickered up to meet his mortal's, Anthony's eyes meeting his squarely without a hint of fear. It was what he appreciated most about the man, that he could trust someone with Loki's past and not carry with him constant suspicion. The genius gave him a quick little nod and Loki released the magic, letting it unfurl itself as it shot toward its targets.

The two mortals were thrown apart by the blast, just as they had been in the clearing. Hansel's body hit the back of the couch before crumpling and Anthony's struck the wall in the opposite direction. They were both seizing with pain as their muscles spasmed. Gretel burst from her place on the wall to go to her brother but Loki caught her and held her back. It was unlikely that any action on her part would change the results at this point, but he was unwilling to take chances.

The entire process took only seconds, but it felt as though minutes passed before the mortals had collapsed on the ground, limp and groaning. Loki eased himself forward, holding an arm out in Gretel's direction to keep her back. His gaze flickered over each other the forms where they lay recovering. There were no outward signs of which was which, but at least there was clearly a soul in each. A soul-less husk would not react to pain.

"Anthony?"

The billionaire's body turned over with what appeared to be great effort to grin up at the god.

"Hey there, gorgeous. Tell me that worked."

Loki leapt forward, snatching the man up in his arms to cradle him close and smother him with kisses.

"Yes," he spoke between each kiss. "Yes, it worked. You've returned to me, my love. You've returned."

The genius just curled closer still and hummed happily. Loki vaguely registered the reunion of Hansel and his sister in the background but paid them absolutely no mind. He allowed his raw magic, struggling to react to his emotions, to rise forth from within him and curl around his lover's frame. It danced with the mortal's own energies as well as those from the arc reactor and the god could do nothing but laugh with pure joy.

Anthony was no better off, wrapping his arms around the god's neck and pulling himself closer. Their bodies slotted together perfectly in a way they hadn't in the past few days since Anthony's retrieval and Amora's curse. If anything, the separation had taught Loki just how much his lover's loss would break him, just how much of himself would flee right along with the mortal's life. As he relished the warmth and softness of the man in his arms, he knew there was nothing he would not do to ensure the man was never lost to him again.

"Hey, Lo?" Anthony murmured into the god's neck. "I think I can go without magic in my suits."

The god chuckled in response, plastering the mortal's face with kiss after kiss.

"My dear, I think that is a very wise decision. I shall simply have to stand beside you in battle to ensure you have access to any magic you could possibly need."

Anthony hummed and burrowed impossibly closer. The other Avengers were drawing up to them now, reassured that nothing had gone amiss. Neither paid them any sort of mind.

"I missed you."

The soft confession brought an equally soft smile to the god's lips.

"And I, you. Do not think I shall be letting you out of my sight for quite some time after this little incident."

"Or your bed?"

Anthony's tone was hopeful.

"Or my bed. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, it will be as if you had disappeared all over again."

"Shit!" Anthony shot out of his arms, expression stricken. "I was supposed to call Rhodey!"


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"So I guess this is it then."

Tony looked around the room at everyone gathered. The entire Avengers team was mingled with the witch hunters and they looked surprisingly comfortable with the mix. Even in only the few short days they'd all been together, they'd worked rather well. Tony worried his lower lip between his teeth.

"It doesn't have to be."

Loki made a noise from where he was plastered all along the inventor's back, but it wasn't a disapproving one. His nose was buried in the hair just above Tony's ear and his teeth grazed the flesh there every so often. The god's arms were wrapped around Tony's waist and kept them pulled close together. Even after the sex marathon they'd just finished, the god seemed unsatisfied with how much contact they'd had. Tony certainly wasn't complaining by any stretch of the imagination. Clint rolled his eyes at them.

"You two are sickening. You know that, right?"

Tony beamed at him.

"If you think this is sickening, you should have seen what we were doing about two hours ago."

"Speaking of which," Gretel cut in, "is your boyfriend over there going to be able to tear himself away from you long enough to get us home? Because we may not have had any gigs lined up, but being gone for so long is still gonna hurt business."

Tony felt a grin slipping its way onto his face. No doubt Loki could feel the shift in his energy because he moved his head just enough to rest his chin on top of the genius's mop of hair. Tony could just imagine the bland look he displayed.

"What if you had a job here? Would it be worth sticking around a little while for?"

Gretel arched one eyebrow at him, but Hansel was looking up with distinct interest. He had one arm wrapped around Ben's shoulders and all but shoved him forward.

"You'll have to talk to the kid about that. You know he runs all the numbers for us."

Ben looked somewhat as though he'd just been thrown into a den of lions.

"Uh…"

"Remember that lesson I gave you on convincing people to agree to whatever you want them to?"

"Yeah…"

He sounded hesitant, as though he could feel the trap closing in around him, and the billionaire grinned at him wolfishly.

"Well let's just skip all that and jump straight to the part where you agree."

"And what-" he swallowed, "what exactly am I agreeing to?"

"Letting me hire you on as witch hunters, of course. You see, I've had quite the problem lately with this one witch in particular. Real bitch. Likes switching people's souls into other bodies."

Hansel looked about ready to bust out laughing.

"I'd ask if you could afford us, but I'm pretty sure that won't be a problem."

Tony sent him a dazzling grin.

"I'll do you one better. You get paid, provided with backup, _and_ a life-time supply of Stark Industries products. We are, after all, the best in all things technology."

Gretel rolled her eyes, but it was affectionate in a way the move never would have been when they'd first met.

"Oh, yeah. And I'm sure that will come in handy quite often, considering we live in a completely different world."

"Well, see, I've been thinking about that."

Bruce and Steve groaned in unison and Tony would have been offended if he didn't realize it was entirely justified.

"I'll call Pepper," Steve said with resignation.

"She'll appreciate the heads up."

The glare Tony sent them was half-hearted at best.

"I will have you know she will be extremely pleased to know I've found a new source of income for the business. She's always on me to expand SI."

Loki chuckled, the sound reverberating through the genius's frame.

"I'm not so sure this is precisely what she meant, my love."

Natasha was filing her nails with a focus that made it extremely clear she had no plans to get involved in this particular conversation. Hansel and his sister looked confused.

"Okay," Hansel admitted, "I'm lost."

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to bring Stark Industries to your world. I mean, sure, the startup expenses are going to be Hell, not to mention product transport between worlds is nigh impossible at present, but the pay off? Unbelievable."

Thor swept his gaze across the room.

"I could contact my lady Jane, see if she would be willing to share her research on the Einstein Rosen Bridge, as she calls it."

Tony nearly leapt out of Loki's arms in his excitement, the other's godly strength being the only thing that kept him from doing just that.

"Yes, yes! God, yes! Do you have any idea how long I've been looking for an excuse to fund her research? No way would the board approve it unless it directly benefited SI, but _now!_" He crowed his exuberance. "Forget sharing, Thor! I can give her an all-expense paid pass with a Stark Industries stamp of approval! Any equipment she wants, any help she wants, all she'll have to do is name it! _And_ she can retain the rights to her research and discoveries!"

He squirmed around in Loki's arms so he could face the god and laid one on him. He could already feel his excitement for the business bleeding over into excitement in other departments. Loki didn't seem opposed to accommodating.

"I feel like I should point out that we haven't actually agreed to any of this yet."

Tony's flinch was subtle enough that he was pretty sure Loki was the only one to pick up on it. He let himself stay in the warmth that was Loki's arms just a moment longer before turning back around to face the room at large with a neutral expression plastered across his face. He might feel like a kicked puppy but there was no reason he had to let them know that.

"Of course," he said while avoiding looking Gretel in the eye. "I was getting ahead of myself. Happens all the time."

The woman shot him an odd look that he refused to consider the implications of. Hansel elbowed her in the side.

"What my sister means to say is that we'd love to take the job. If you can be industrious and expand your business outside of just your own world then there's no reason we shouldn't be able to as well."

Gretel hummed in agreement.

"And this particular witch is one I certainly wouldn't mind setting fire to."

Ben beamed.

"Only sure way to kill a witch!"

Tony beamed right back, kicked puppy feeling evaporated like a puddle on a sunny day.

"Looks like you've got yourselves a job, then."

Edward grunted his approval and Hansel laughed.

"Gotta admit, I'm looking forward to putting a bullet through that bitch's eye."

Gretel hefted her crossbow.

"Or an arrow."

Clint snorted.

"Yeah, you guys are gonna fit in just fine."

A/N: Thank you to everyone who stuck with me through this whole story! I hope you had as much fun with it as I did!


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